The Monster's Mask
by Razberri
Summary: This was Khan Noonien Singh, the Augmented Tyrant. This was a man she knew would have no problem snapping her neck if it came to it. And this was a man to whom she'd given the most intimate part of herself. But she could convince herself that wasn't true because it was John Harrison that she'd known, not Khan. And John Harrison didn't exist anymore. Khan/OC
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

Madelyn McGivers made her way down the glass staircase that spiraled through the center of one of London's tallest buildings. The tablet she carried in her hand was a welcome change to the archaic stack of a paperwork she'd entered the building with earlier. Her grandfather had never been one for technology and it had taken him years to even accept the fact that paper had been made obsolete in his lifetime. Today he had finally allowed her to transfer his records into an electronic format, and now she has happy to deal with any of his transactions because they were all compressed onto a single pane of glass she could carry easily in one hand. Of course this was technology that had been perfected for everyday use by the middle of 22nd century and they were now well into the 23rd. But her grandfather was old and sometimes grumpy, with a penchant for his old ways, and she loved him to bits despite it. She'd do anything for him.

Her high heels clicked across the wide expanse of tile that formed the ground floor of the building. Her brown hair, slicked back in a ponytail, bounced behind her, and walking in her plain but professional clothing, her head held high, she felt as though she belonged here. High above her, the glass walls, framed with steel, glittered in the midday sun, allowing rays of warmth to penetrate the enormous manmade structure. She was here because that was what her grandfather hated; the metal, the glass, the concrete. Whatever was green in downtown London had been planted there after the remodeling of the city took place almost a century earlier, after the third world war. Madelyn didn't mind the lack of proper green space one bit. She loved the city, the way people rushed to and fro, the skyscrapers living up to their name, the sounds of birds nesting somewhere far above where no one could reach them, the way the sun glinted off the unique architecture. To Madelyn, the city was beautiful. To her grandfather, the city was a prison, which was why he mostly kept to himself, having retired from investment banking many years ago. He now owned and managed his own golf club and pub outside of the city, in what could possibly still be described as a village, Windsor to be exact. Madelyn lived with him, her own attempt at being sure someone in her family was properly looked after.

She nodded and smiled to Kelly, the girl who worked behind the front desk of the building as she headed for the wide revolving doors. The teenage girl glanced at her with a smile, then beckoned to her and called her name. Madelyn paused and came over curiously.

"A man came by earlier asking about your grandfather," the girl said in a Cockney accent.

Madelyn leaned on the counter slightly. Her shoes were growing uncomfortable. "Did he leave a name?"

"No, just a number. I told him your grandfather didn't work here anymore. I could call him to let him know you're here, if he wants to talk to you."

"Did he say what about? You know William doesn't have a lot of friends in the city anymore."

"Something about a private investigation."

William was her grandfather's name. Unlike most men of his generation, he didn't shorten it to the more casual version of Will. He preferred William. He said it garnered him more respect.

"Go ahead and call him, Kelly."

The girl was on the phone for only a few moments. When she hung up she giggled slightly. "Em, he said he could meet you right outside the building just now, if you like."

Madelyn smiled at the girl. Though Kelly was almost ten years younger than her, sometimes she felt they could have been sisters if she'd grown up in England. "Why are you laughing like that? Did he flirt with you?"

Kelly's blue eyes grew wide. "No! It's just, he's got such a lovely voice, and he's so tall, and his eyes! His eyes, Madelyn."

Madelyn snorted. "You need to find yourself a boyfriend, before the next male that crosses your path makes you pass out on the sidewalk. Thanks, though. I may see you tomorrow; William's got some kind of shipment coming in and wants me to make sure its in one piece."

Madelyn exited the building and immediately realized why Kelly had been so googly eyed over a stranger. She could pick the man out of a crowd immediately. He was tall, with slicked back dark hair, and a gaze that could pierce the heart out of anyone who wasn't prepared. Even his cheekbones were striking. He wore a simple black trench with collar upturned over a teal shirt, black trousers and boots.

She walked right up to him and extended her hand. He took it firmly. "I'm Madelyn McGivers. I was told you wanted to ask my grandfather a few questions relating to an investigation. May I ask what it is you're investigating and how my grandfather is involved?"

The man raised his eyebrows at her forthrightness and smiled. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid my investigation is a private affair. If I gave away too much information, your safety and that of your grandfather's could be put at risk."

Madelyn gazed up at him with a little confusion. "In that case, maybe I could set you up with him on a more private level. He's retired and doesn't like coming to the city."

The man nodded. "If it could be arranged, I'd be more than happy to oblige his whims."

She grinned and pulled out her phone. "Great, how about you meet me at his pub in Windsor tonight at eight? It's called the William and Rose."

"Good," he said. "I'll see you tonight."

He turned to leave, but Madelyn stopped him. "Wait, I didn't get your name."

He turned back, his expression unapologetic. "John Harrison. Good afternoon, Miss McGivers."

She watched him stride away, her hand aching from when he'd gripped it. She liked a man with a firm handshake.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Harrison showed up at William's pub precisely on time. Madelyn was waiting at a table by the door and stood when he came in. He acknowledged her and followed her to the back where her grandfather was waiting in his darkened office.

"Granddad, this is John Harrison, the man I told you about earlier. He just wants to ask you a few questions."

William was leaning back in his chair, his feet propped on his desk, smoking his favorite pipe. He had white bushy eyebrows and two days white growth on his chin, a short nose, and Madelyn's strong jaw. "John Harrison," he said out of the corner of his mouth in a thick accent. His light eyes flitted over the man, then he turned to Madelyn. "A fine pick, darling."

Madelyn chuckled. "He's not—we're not—"

"I'd prefer if I could conduct this interview in private, Miss McGivers," said Harrison. Madelyn was grateful for his interruption, though she wondered at his insistence. Shooting William a look, she slipped out of the room.

The bar wasn't terribly crowded tonight. There were no matches on and it was the middle of the week. Madelyn helped herself to a small glass of her favorite fruity Zinfandel and leaned against the bar, shutting her eyes to relax.

"You there, you had a busy day at work, eh?"

She opened her eyes almost immediately and looked over at the source of the voice. A plainly dressed young man with his hand around a beer bottle grinned at her with perfect teeth. She smiled back at him.

"I had my fair share of things to take care of."

He raised his blond eyebrows. "You're American!"

She raised her glass to her lips and tasted the sweet liquid. "Guilty as charged," she replied.

"So, are you on holiday?"

"No, I live here."

"Ah, so you're an expat?"

"I guess you could say that. My grandfather just owns this pub and the golf club next door."

The man leaned back in his seat a little, giving her a surprised grin. "So would ya mind serving me another on the house?"

Madelyn smiled with closed lips. "I don't think our policy is free drinks for flirts."

"Oh, but I wasn't flirting, just being friendly. Say you want to go out with me tonight? I know some nice spots in London you've probably never heard of."

Madelyn leaned forward, her chin in her hand. "Oh yeah, what sort of spots? Do they give free drinks?"

"Well for a pretty thing like you they might, yeah."

She snorted and was about to reply when a deep voice behind her interrupted. "I don't think you should be needing any free drinks tonight."

Madelyn turned to see Harrison standing behind her, eyeing the man at the end of the bar, whose smile had disappeared.

"Sorry what?" she half smiled up at him, confused.

"Would you like to get a drink with me elsewhere? I believe my investigation would be more fruitful with your input."

Madelyn glanced slyly at the blond man who was now dutifully ignoring them. "Was William not helpful?"

"No, not really," he said, his voice low. "Well, I managed to get a little out of him, but he was not forthcoming."

"I'd love to join you then. I don't have any other plans."

"Excellent. I know a place not far from here that should be adequate."

She felt his hand on her back as she climbed down from her bar stool and gathered her things, then she followed him outside where he paused.

"That man you were speaking with, did you know him?"

She shrugged. "Never seen him in my life. Why?"

He studied her for a moment, then glanced back through a window into the pub. The blond man was gone, but William was now standing at the bar. He turned back to her and offered a smile. "Probably nothing."

They climbed into his vehicle and headed for Harrison's mystery destination. Madelyn liked surprises, although she had to keep reminding herself this was a professional meeting. She glanced at Harrison out of the corner of her eye as streetlights passed over his face. He didn't look at her, didn't speak, hardly moved. His features were striking. Kelly wasn't wrong. He _was_ attractive.

Her phone beeped. It was a text from William. _"you out with that man?" _She smiled at her grandfather's need to worry about her. Then another. _"what are you doing with him?"_

They drove for a short time, heading into London, Madelyn noted. Harrison's pick was a clean but quiet place, hidden at the top of a hill between an empty apartment complex and a launderette. He motioned for her to sit in a booth and he sat across from her. William texted her again. _"where did he take you?"_ Harrison ordered them both drinks, then turned all his attention on her.

"Firstly, I'd liked to know about your parents."

His demand caught her completely off-guard. Her brow furrowed and he seemed to get the message. "I told you your grandfather was not forthcoming. The moment he realized what I was asking him, he told me to go fuck myself. Not the response I was hoping for, as you can imagine."

Madelyn's brow went from furrowed to sky-high. She glanced at her phone as another text sprang up. _"dont go messing around with him!"_ "No! I've never known him to turn down a conversation. He'd never curse at someone he didn't know, unless it was really serious. Like detrimental-to-his-health serious."

_"he wanted to know bloody personal shit maddy!"_

Harrison nodded. "I assume you'll be easier to talk to then."

She took a breath, annoyed with William. "Right. My parents. Well if you have to know, my dad was an investment banker, like his dad. He was the best father I think anyone could have." She smiled at the memory. "He was diagnosed suddenly with terminal brain cancer when I was eighteen, and died a year later. So I came to live with William here."

_"if he asks you about your mother get up and leave"_

"And your mother?"

Madelyn hesitated. "She died giving birth to me. There's not much else I know. My dad never talked about her."

His gaze was piercing. "So there's nothing else you know about her?"

She shook her head slowly, glancing down at her phone again. "I'm sorry, William keeps texting me, says he's not feeling very good. His health has been pretty unstable lately. I should probably get back."

Harrison lifted his chin slightly, then nodded. "I'll take you home."

"That's alright I can get a taxi—"

"No, I insist."

He was insistent all right. His hand on her arm was insistent. She glanced down at it as he drew it slowly away. They both stood up without a word and headed back to William's pub. When Harrison pulled his vehicle around the corner, Madelyn squinted at the police lights that flashed on the building.

"Jesus, what is this?" She scrambled out of the vehicle and ran towards the scene. Police had cordoned the pub off with yellow lasers that zapped you if you touched them for too long. She ignored Harrison's call behind her and grabbed the nearest officer. "What happened here?"

"You the granddaughter?"

She nodded furiously.

"I'm sorry, miss, but there's been a murder. I'm afraid your grandfather is dead."

Madelyn could scarcely believe what she'd heard. She lunged towards the lasers but was stopped by Harrison.

"He's dead!" she gasped. "Somebody killed him while we were gone. God, this is all my fault!" She pushed Harrison off of her and went over to a group of officers who looked like they were in charge.

"Madelyn McGivers? Miss, you should go back to your friend there. There's nothing you can do."

"What happened to him? Who did this?"

"We'll investigate every lead we find, miss."

"There's a chance his killer is still in Windsor."

"We'll put a watch on your house tonight to ensure your safety miss, don't worry."

Their explanations and words of intended comfort blurred together in her mind. Frantically, she whirled in search of something or someone to grasp onto, to talk to, to ground her. But Harrison and his vehicle were gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

The following morning, Madelyn let the doorbell ring several times, but after an insistent fourth time, she grumbled and walked slowly downstairs. She'd hardly slept at all that night, her mind whirring through possibilities, who the killer was, where he was, whether he was still nearby. She'd locked every door and window in the house.

Madelyn unlocked the door and squinted in the bright morning light, then realized it was Owen Gallagher, a friend of both her and William. She reached out for a hug and he took her gently.

"I'm so sorry, Maddy."

"Thanks," she mumbled into his shoulder. She stepped back, then brushed her hair out of her face.

"Did I wake you?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I hardly slept last night. Do you want coffee?"

"I could do a whole breakfast."

She chuckled. He knew she liked to cook when she was going through a loss. This wasn't the first time.

They went inside and he sat in one of the bar stools at the large kitchen island while she set to work on the coffee and put some eggs on the stove.

A loyal Brit through and through, Gallagher had been a friend of William's ever since Madelyn could remember. After he'd received a promotion within the Starfleet Corp of Engineers, he'd gone to William for much needed advice on how to invest his rising paychecks. Though he was fifteen years older than her, she'd always imagined him to be the elder brother she never had, though he looked nothing like anyone in her family. He was tall, with a round face and short curly blond hair. She'd always reminded her of Mark, and when she lost him, she'd gone straight to Gallagher for emotional support. She had a sneaking suspicion that he felt more for her than he let on, but she wasn't about to encourage him. Him showing up this morning was more than enough.

The coffee was ready and Madelyn served them the eggs and some instant oatmeal with their hot mugs. She sat across from him and sipped her steaming hot coffee, watching as he dug into his food. Despite the smell of the eggs and oats, she wasn't very hungry.

After a moment of silence, Gallagher looked up from his meal. "Listen, Maddy, if you need help with anything I'm here. I took off a few days from work, much to the Admiral's disgruntlement, since we've got a lot of big projects going on, but I don't have to be back on duty until next week."

"Thank you, Owen," she said quietly. "I guess I need to make funeral arrangements. Meanwhile, his killer is out there somewhere walking free. I couldn't sleep at all last night."

"I forgot this house didn't have an alarm system."

She shook her head. "You know William didn't like technology. You'd think he was born in the wrong century."

They both chuckled softly, remembering the old man. Madelyn took a bite of oatmeal. Gallagher had about finished his food. "You mind if I stay over for a few days?" he asked.

She straightened. "No, please do. It'd be nice to have some company, plus you offered to help out."

He nodded with a crooked smile. "Great." He stood up and snatched up his rental keys. "I'll pick up my things from the inn and bring them up here. If you want I can head into London and get start getting some of William's affairs in order."

Madelyn went around the kitchen island and kissed him on the cheek. "That's really sweet of you, Owen. Thanks so much. I don't know what I'd do without you."

He snorted as he headed out of the kitchen. "You'd have more food in your fridge."

She rolled her eyes at him playfully and watched as he went out the door. She checked the time. It was still early. She had enough time to get to work and request some leave time, but it was too late to request a sub for her class. She sighed and went to shower and get ready.

After her shower, she went downstairs, running her fingers through her wet hair, and flipped on the television. The news came on. A man's body had been found in a ditch on the side of a road south of Windsor. Both of his arms were cracked to pieces and his abdomen was severely bruised, but he had died quickly, his neck snapped with brute force. The report announced the man's name and flashed up his year old mug. Madelyn's hand slid over her mouth. It was the man from William's pub last night. She switched the screen off, her mind playing through her brief conversation with him, recalling the way Harrison had rushed her off as soon as he'd seen them.

She shook her head and hurried out the door to the private school she taught at in Eton.

When she walked into the school, she was greeted immediately by the headmaster, who assured her she didn't have to teach today, and for the next week or longer if she needed the time off. Clearly they'd all seen the news and knew she'd lost someone very dear to her. What most of her co-workers didn't know was that she'd lost almost everyone dear to her. Owen Gallagher was perhaps the only exception now.

She went into her office and began retrieving a few odds and ends she didn't want to leave unattended for too long: her collection of tablets that contained most of her lesson plans and materials; the projector, which she slid into her pocket; and a thick, rare, print-edition of Vikram Seth's _A Suitable Boy_, which she tucked into her shoulder bag.

"Madelyn."

She jumped at the deep voice and her gaze flew to the door. "Mr. Harrison." She breathed a sigh. "You surprised me. I wasn't expecting to see you."

He entered the room, his eyes sweeping it. His silver, high-collared coat gave him an air of intimidation and broadened his shoulders, but Madelyn wasn't impressed enough to show it.

"Please, call me John." He studied a moving photograph of Madelyn, William, and Owen hanging on the wall, then turned back to her. "When I heard that your grandfather's killer was still on the loose, I thought I'd make sure you were safe."

"Thanks, but it's not necessary. I'm fine, really." She adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "I was just about to head back home. I've been given a week off work so I can deal with…" She hesitated. "With this."

He nodded understandingly, continuing to walk across her office until he stood between her glass desk and the wall, blocking her way to the door. "I think it would be best for you if you were not living alone."

"I've got a friend in town. He's in London right now, helping me out."

"Starfleet Commander Owen Gallagher, I assume."

She frowned. "How did you know?"

"My work with Starfleet has brought me in contact with many people, and I recognized him in that photo. I assumed you two were close."

Madelyn shook her head. "He was a friend of William's."

Harrison tilted his head towards her. "I don't trust him," he said in a low, quiet voice.

"He's a friend! And besides you've never met him."

"He may be your friend, but don't think for one second that there aren't other agendas at work here. I don't believe your grandfather's murder was a random act of violence."

Madelyn stared up at him, turning his words around in her mind. He was so close to her, she could feel his warm breath on her face. "You think Owen was involved?" she said quietly. She wondered briefly about the man, her friend, his blond curls, his laughing eyes and wide grin. _So much like Mark_, she thought. "Maybe, if you think you should, you should stay over for a little. I feel weird about this, I mean I hardly know you, but if what you're saying about William's murder is true… I shouldn't trust anyone, not even you."

Harrison's gaze grew sharper and he lifted his chin, as if raising himself above her standard of trust. Madelyn glanced at the open door across the room as someone passed by. She noticed he followed her gaze. She turned back to him. "I should go to the police."

"No," he warned. "The police only answer to higher authorities, authorities I do not trust."

She watched him carefully, his piercing blue eyes studying her from above his prominent cheekbones, the way his jaw was set, his lips pressing against each other.

"You're not giving me a choice, are you?"

He didn't break her gaze. "No."

She nodded, slowly coming to terms. Clutching her shoulder bag and the tablets in her other hand, she slid around him, not ignorant of the way he watched her every movement. The open doorway was a welcome relief to his penetrating presence, but he quickly followed her.

They walked outside together. She noticed he kept a steady eye on their surroundings and the people that passed them by. She headed towards home, which was about a thirty-minute walk from the school. When they walked out onto the bridge over the Thames, she stopped suddenly and faced him.

"What did my family have to do with your investigation?"

"Even if I told you, it would make little difference now," he said. "I didn't expect your grandfather to become collateral damage."

"_Collateral damage?_ He was my last living family member, Harrison."

His brow tightened. "I am sorry."

"Collateral damage to what?" she asked after a moment.

"There are certain people walking among us that are not wanted alive by certain authorities. Your grandfather knew too much and was disposed of."

Madelyn swallowed. "Somebody wants me dead."

"There is a chance, yes."

She glanced at people as they walked by. Harrison reached over and took her arm firmly. "You are not alone, Madelyn." He gazed down at her sympathetically and she couldn't help but feel secure in his hand.

"You know, speaking of dead people…"

He raised an eyebrow and she paused, smiling as she realized what she'd said.

"It's probably nothing, but that guy I was talking to at William's pub last night, they found him dead this morning, in a ditch south of town."

Harrison didn't seem concerned. "Seedy type. Probably picked a fight with the wrong man." He slid a hand down her back and pulled her gently beside him. "Let's take you home."

She breathed deeply and headed back across the Thames with Harrison close beside her. She didn't dwell on the dead man any longer. How could she, when Harrison was pressing his gloved hand firmly into the small of her back.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

There was a vehicle in the front drive that didn't belong to the McGivers family.

"Owen's here," said Madelyn. Harrison didn't respond.

They went in through the back door that led into the den a few steps down from the kitchen. She called Gallagher's name and he answered from the wide living area in the center of the house. She went into the room, where wide, floor-to-celling windows could let in light or be shaded at the touch of a button. They were probably the most high-tech thing William McGivers had ever purchased.

Gallagher was sitting in the middle of the room, cross-legged, surrounded by photographs and slips of paper. He'd pushed the couch, coffee table, and easy chairs out of the center of the room to give himself more floor space. Harrison shed his gloves and coat and Madelyn set her shoulder bag and armload of tablets on a side table. Gallagher stood up.

"Hey, Maddy, how's it going?" He stepped carefully over the old pieces of William's childhood laying on the floor and gave her a quick hug. She smiled back at him.

"Owen, I want you to meet a friend of mine, John Harrison. He's been doing some investigating into William's death."

Gallagher glanced at the tall man then extended his hand. Harrison took it firmly, prolonging his eye contact when he finally released it. Madelyn noticed Owen wince as he did. "Good to meet you, John," he replied, smiling through closed lips. He quickly turned his attention back to her. "Listen, I've been going through a bunch of William's old files, and I think I could put together a lovely presentation with some of this stuff." He danced back into to the mass of papers and photos strewn across the floor and settled himself on the floor. "All I have to do is make electronic copies."

Madelyn allowed herself a half-smile. "You do that, Owen. Thanks." She went over and sat in the long white couch, her shoulders slumping. Harrison knelt and picked up one of the photographs, one of the only moving ones that William had stored away. He studied it closely then placed it carefully back on the floor.

"Are there any photographs or records of Madelyn's mother?" he asked. Both Madelyn and Gallagher exchanged a look before looking at Harrison.

"Why?" Gallagher asked, scratching his head.

"I believe there may be a connection between her and William McGivers' killer."

Gallagher shrugged and returned to his work. Madelyn stared at Harrison as he stood, her brow knit, clearly conveying her confusion. "What sort of connection?"

Harrison glanced at Gallagher. "I am not at liberty to say. Perhaps in time…" He trailed off, leaving her only to wonder.

Gallagher laughed suddenly and held out a photograph for Madelyn to look at. "Here's you with William out on his boat when you were ten. Look at how tiny you were."

Madelyn leaned forward to take the photo and laughed, grinning for the first time since William's death. "God, I was so _small_. How did I manage never to break anything when I was a kid? My bones must have been so thin!"

Harrison came over and sat on the couch beside her. "May I see?" She handed the photo to him and he studied it closely. She watched him as his eyes narrowed at first, then seemed to loosen and illuminate, as if he was realizing something. She glanced away when he handed her back the photo. Her eyes swept the floor of the room, scanning it for any memories or triggers. Remembering William's face brought tears to her eyes and she sucked in her breath to keep from crying. Gallagher looked up at her, his concern showing all over his face.

"You okay, Maddy? You don't have to do this with me if you don't want."

She stood and went for the kitchen, waving her hand behind her. "I'll be fine." Gallagher jumped up and followed her. She stopped beside the fridge and turned. Gallagher was practically in her face, and Harrison was standing in the doorway, watching with a concrete expression.

"Owen, don't do this," she said pushing his hand away as he tried to wipe tears from her face. She shrugged away from him and opened a sliding cupboard, trying to act uninterested in him. She took out a glass bowl and it was pulled from her hands. Gallagher slammed the dish on the counter and took her hands softly, pressing his face in on her.

"Maddy, I care about you. If you need to talk to me, just talk."

She stared at him and wrenched her hands out of his. "I need you to stay out of my face and go do the work you promised to do," she said softly. "You're my friend and that's all."

Gallagher stared at her for a moment. Then he shook his head and left her there, brushing past Harrison without a word. Madelyn turned back to the counter and proceeded to chopping various fruits and vegetables. She heard Harrison's soft footsteps coming around the large kitchen island.

"He cannot be trusted, Madelyn. Remember that."

She paused her fierce chopping of a cucumber and glared up at him. "Don't think you get to tell me what to do too, John."

He leaned against the counter casually, his arms crossed across his chest. "A friendly reminder, nothing more."

She pursed her lips in a show of frustration. "He's been a family friend for a long time. Sometimes I wonder if he's really a child stuck in an adult body."

"People never reveal who they truly are inside unless they're desperate," he replied. "And even then. Why should you trust someone simply because they treat you politely? What if that politeness is really a mask for a monster?"

"Then I must secretly be a huge bitch," Madelyn grumbled.

Harrison chuckled. Gallagher called from the other room. Madelyn paused, brandishing her knife briefly. She glanced at Harrison. His eyes were still laughing at her. She set the knife down and went back to the living room.

"What is it, Owen?"

Gallagher didn't move from where he sat amidst the scattered papers and photos, but looked up at her intently. "Maddy, I'm sorry. I know you're going through a lot. And I've been stressed with work and now I have this to worry about, but I shouldn't be complaining, and I certainly shouldn't be taking my emotions out on you at a time like this." He paused, waiting for her reply. She smiled softly and gave him a shrug, slipping her hands into her pockets.

"It's okay. You had John a little worried there, though."

Gallagher nodded, a sly smile sneaking onto his face. "Are you seeing him?" At the look on Madelyn's face, he adjusted his tone. "I mean, based on the way he looks at you, which I couldn't help but notice…"

She stared at him. "No, I'm not seeing him. I just met him yesterday!"

Gallagher raised his hands defensively. "Alright, I was just curious. A guy's gotta know these things…" She was still glaring at him when he abruptly changed the subject. "Have you ever been in space, Maddy?"

"Sorry, what? No."

"It's just that when I think about all the pressures of my job and how much stress it causes me, I like to remind myself what makes it all worth it. Seeing Earth from up there, seeing the Solar System. Mind you I've never been past Jupiter, but there's no experience like it. It makes you feel so insignificant." He seemed to be staring into space at this point and Madelyn just watched him with a slight smile on her face.

"Why are you telling me this?"

He jerked back to reality. "Well I was thinking about your grandfather, obviously, and I realized that a lot of his time and money went into making Starfleet what it is today. And I thought, why not take you to see that work, work that your grandfather personally sponsored? Have you ever been to San Francisco, Maddy?"

She was still smiling down at him, convinced that an ADHD-inflicted child possessed him. "No, I've never had the chance. But I've always wanted to."

"I'll take you there someday, so you can see where some of William's money went."

"I'd like that," she said, an unintended sadness in her voice.

He glanced at her one more time before returning to his work. Madelyn went back into the kitchen. Harrison was outside in the back, talking with someone through his communicator. Madelyn completed her enormous salad, then chowed down in silence. Harrison came back in, sliding his communicator into his pocket, his expression steely. When he caught her gaze, he softened but said nothing.

"Maddy, come look at this photo!"

Gallagher's smooth voice came from the other room. Madelyn felt Harrison's eyes on her back as she went to join her friend.

* * *

That night, after much protest directed towards Madelyn, Gallagher found himself sleeping on the couch in the living room. The guest room upstairs at one end of the long, wide hallway Madelyn gave to Harrison, while she had the rooms at the other end of the hall to herself. Her grandfather's room, the master bedroom, was untouched, sheets tousled and clothing on the floor the way he'd left it the day before. Madelyn paused in the doorway, her eyes taking in every detail. The ancient master bed with its wooden posts would remain empty now, and the closet door stood half ajar. She went in slowly and peered into the large adjoining bathroom. There were splatters of toothpaste on the mirror and an open can of shaving cream leaking onto the counter. She backed away, then paused beside the closet. It smelled of him, his tobacco, his cologne, his age. Oh _god_, it smelled of him. She took a breath and felt a sob shake her. She quickly left the room, stepping carefully around piles of dirty clothing. The motion sensors switched off the light behind her. When the maids came tomorrow, she'd tell them not to touch his room.

She walked down the hall towards her own room, her hand trailing along the wall. A solitary blue street lamp outside the window behind her illuminated her path. She reached for the handle of her bedroom door, then paused. She wasn't alone. Harrison stood in the shadows at the other end of the hallway, his silhouette tall and broad. She wasn't sure if he knew she was there. She opened her door and let it creak, and instantly he came towards her. She watched him as his features grew visible in the dim light. "What is it?"

"I'll be leaving for San Francisco the day after tomorrow," he said, his voice unusually low.

"Oh," was all she could let out of her mouth.

"I don't want you alone with Gallagher. You should ask him to leave before then."

She glanced down suddenly, feeling his hand take her bare arm. She grew conscious of what she was wearing, pajama pants and a camisole without a bra. She looked back at him. His gaze was fixed on her even in the dark. "What if I don't want him to leave?" she said slowly.

"You really should," he replied. His grip on her tightened.

"What are you not telling me, John?"

There was no reply, but she imagined if it hadn't been so dark she would have seen his jaw tighten.

"If you're leaving, I don't want Owen to leave. I don't want to be alone."

His fingers strangled her arm now. Her hand was growing numb. "Would you prefer to die rather than be alone?" There was anger beneath his smooth tone.

Her arm was throbbing, but she didn't show it. He didn't loosen his grip either. "You may not trust him, but he's still my friend and I would never want to lose that," she replied firmly.

Harrison backed her against the wall, his other hand slamming into the drywall beside her head. His face was inches from hers. "I'll not have my time here wasted on your corpse," he hissed. "Either you will tell your friend to leave or I will make him go."

Madelyn breathed steadily through her nose, her lips pressed together in alarm. His gaze was so cold, so unmoving, she wasn't sure if he ever blinked. And yet his breath was hot. She felt it on her skin and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. He smelled subtly of soap. His black hair still dripped, a few strands clinging to his forehead. She waited a moment to respond, taking in his single-minded expression, wary of his shift in temper.

"You're hurting me," she said, barely above a whisper. His fingers didn't immediately loosen around her arm. His lips parted and his eyes glanced downward. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. Then he let her go and she slipped out of his grasp. She escaped to her bedroom without glancing back, locking the door behind her.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Madelyn walked downstairs the following morning to find Gallagher fishing through a holographic projection of files projected from a tablet in the middle of the living room. His hands swept through the air as he shuffled, reorganized, and lined up photos, documents, quotes, anything and everything that reminded Madelyn immediately of William. She cleared her throat and Gallagher minimized the display, his hands sliding into his pockets.

"Morning, sunshine," he said, the corner of his mouth rising.

She yawned through her reply, then ran her fingers through her messy hair. "Anything I can help you with, Owen?"

He shrugged. "I've got this under control I think. I can show you something else I've been working on for the presentation if you like." He motioned to his bag on the couch. "It's on my other tablet."

Madelyn shuffled over to his bag and bent over to see better, her vision still slightly blurry from sleep. Her fingers pried aside the bag's insides. She paused. The tablet was sitting on top of a small metal object, wrapped loosely in a spare shirt. She used one finger to push the fabric aside and sucked in a breath. It was a stun gun of some sort.

Quickly, she pulled the tablet from the bag and turned back to him.

"It's on the main display, just turn it on," he said.

While she flicked through the seemingly random assortment of files that made up this other project Gallagher wanted to share at William's funeral, her mind whirled. Owen Gallagher had never carried a weapon in his life. Madelyn could never recall a single moment where he'd wanted to, or wished he had. Her mind played through John Harrison's warnings.

_Don't think for one second that there aren't other agendas at work here... I don't believe your grandfather's murder was a random act of violence…_

_Why should you trust someone simply because they treat you politely? What if that politeness is really a mask for a monster?_

She remembered what he'd said last night, the way he'd pushed her to the wall, the way his breath had been hot in her face.

_I'll not have my time here wasted on your corpse. Either you will tell your friend to leave or I will make him go!_

She came to the end of Gallagher's presentation without really remembering its contents, then handed the tablet back to him. "It's great, thanks."

What if Harrison was right about him? She clenched her jaw at the idea that her closest friend, one of William's closest friends, the man standing in front of her this very second, wanted to harm her.

"You okay, Maddy?"

She relaxed enough to make him stop worrying and smiled at him with closed lips. "Yeah, I didn't sleep well. I'm gonna make breakfast. You want anything?"

"Already ate," he said, turning his holographic projector back on.

"'Kay."

She made herself breakfast and brewed coffee, then took her food outside to the outdoor patio. The morning air was cool and comfortable, and the birds singing in the trees that rose above the house helped her relax. She took her time eating, but when she stood up to go back inside, Harrison came out the door. She smiled a little when she saw him. "Where were you? I didn't see you when I got up."

He returned her smile, his eyes piercing her in the morning light. "I had some errands to run in the city," he said.

She stared down at her coffee for a moment. She wanted to go back inside, but he stood in her path. When she looked up again, he gazed firmly back.

"I saw a gun in Owen's bag this morning," she said quietly. "He's never carried in his life, until now apparently."

"Do you still trust him?"

She chewed on her bottom lip. "He hasn't done anything that would make me lose my trust in him. I just thought the gun was… odd."

"Have you asked him to leave yet?"

"No, and I'm not going to. I have no reason to!"

Harrison didn't respond, but his gaze penetrated hers. She recalled again the way he'd grabbed her the night before, how intensely he'd thrust himself into her space. She swallowed and started to move around him towards the house. Before she made a few steps, he caught her upper arm in a gentler grip.

"You need to, before it's too late," he said, his voice dropping to a lower tone that made Madelyn's ears leap for joy. But as soon as he grabbed her, he let her go. She continued to the house, glancing back once or twice. He just stood there in the yard, watching her, his hands hanging by his sides.

She went inside and dumped her dishes in the sink. Why wouldn't he just say why Gallagher shouldn't be trusted? She suspected Harrison thought Gallagher wanted to kill her, especially now that he had a gun on his person. But the timing of it all was suspicious. She'd met Harrison the same day William was killed, and now Harrison wanted another person out of her life, Gallagher, the only person she had left. Well, other than Harrison. But she hardly knew anything about him, and she doubted very much she could trust him either.

Madelyn glanced towards the living room, but Gallagher wasn't there. She shrugged and turned back to scrubbing clean the dishes and pans in the sink. She turned suddenly when she heard Harrison's deep, distinctive voice in the room.

"Commander Gallagher, what are you doing?"

There was no reply. Madelyn went into the living room where Harrison was standing in the center of the floor, his hands now fists by his side. She looked over at Gallagher. He was fiddling with something inside his bag. Before Harrison could advance on the man, she clenched her teeth and strode towards Gallagher, retrieving what was still in his hand. The stun gun. She held it up in Gallagher's face, raising a questioning eyebrow. He shrugged and ran a shaky hand through his curly blond hair.

"I'm sorry, Maddy. New regulations require me to carry now. I should have told you—"

"But you're not on duty," she interrupted. "You brought this into my home without permission, Owen. What were you thinking?"

He grinned and looked down at his feet. "I wasn't. I—I'm sorry, I really am—"

Harrison stepped forward and took Gallagher's shoulder. "I think it's time for you leave."

Madelyn came forward quickly. "John—"

Harrison put his other hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently back from them. The blond man shrugged away from Harrison's touch, eyeing him, and grabbed his bag off the couch. "You're right. I should leave. I should have left the moment you brought _him_ into this. It's obvious you two have a… a thing," Gallagher spat, looking indignantly between them both. He pulled his bag over his shoulder and stormed out of the room, brushing past Harrison without so much as a glance behind.

"Owen, wait!" She ran after him but he didn't stop. "Owen, I didn't mean for you to—"

"No, it's fine. It's fine!" Gallagher waved his hands in the air for emphasis. "I'll leave you two alone. You deserve someone like him, Maddy. Not someone who reminds you of Mark. Oh, no! Somebody _new_ is what you need."

She tried to keep him from opening the front door, but he pushed her out of the way and kept going. "You can't just leave me here like this!" she screamed at him.

"What do you mean? You've got John! Anyway, I'll just be in London making funeral preparations," he called over his shoulder as he strode down the sidewalk. He paused in the open door of his vehicle. "You know how to contact me."

Madelyn watched in growing anger as he sped away. She stormed back inside and slammed the front door. Her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She needed to destroy something. She snatched a lithe glass sculpture off of a side table and heaved it at the door with an angry yell. The glass shattered, pieces flying across the room, sticking in the door, sliding across the floor. Her arm stung where a few shards struck her. It wasn't enough. She clenched her jaw and pounded her fist into the wall.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Harrison grabbed her before she could slam her fist into the wall again. Her anger made her blows uncontrolled and he knew the wall would break her before she broke it. He held her tightly without saying a word, her back pressed to his chest, his hands keeping her arms in check. She was strong, despite her size, but not as strong as she thought. She struggled against him, cursing at him until her voice cracked. He didn't have to respond. He knew why she had lost control. She had done a fine job wearing her mask for the last day and a half. Now, finally, she sank back against him, sobbing, her moment of rage over.

He loosened his grip on her and she turned to face him. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and her eyes puffy. There was blood on her forehead where she'd been scratched by glass.

"You fucking bastard! Why'd you do that?" she gasped, her words slurring together, lost in a sob. She was beating his chest limply. "Fuck you! I've lost everyone!"

There was nothing left for him to do but stand there as she sank into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her tears soaking through his shirt, wetting his shoulder, He placed his hands firmly on her waist. He could feel her shivering. It'd been a long time since he'd held a woman. He felt his body ache a little. All he had to do was pin her against the wall…

Her unsteady breathing reminded him of her reality, which was becoming strikingly similar to his. He knew what it was like to lose those he loved, to have them taken from him. His grip on her waist tightened and he took in a long, slow breath, letting it out as she began to calm herself. When she glanced up at him, her hands balled up against his chest, he couldn't stand it. He wanted her badly.

He released her waist and took her head in both hands, firmly pressing his lips to her warm mouth. She tried to shrink away from him, not returning the gesture. He forced his tongue inside her, his teeth grating her lips gently. She gasped softly and made a feeble attempt to kiss him back. He reached down and pulled her flush against him. He could hear her breathing hitch. He attacked her mouth fiercely, his fingers sliding inside her shirt.

She broke the kiss as the communicator in her pocket went off. He watched her chest rising and falling as she stepped out of his reach. He would let her go for now. She answered the call and quickly disappeared from his sight.

He groaned at the state his body was left in. He inhaled deeply and exhaled for a long time. He needed to focus. Tomorrow, the first steps of his plan would begin. If it meant he would leave her for just a little while, it didn't matter. Tonight, he would make her his possession. And tomorrow, he would have his vengeance.


	7. Chapter 7

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: ****_This chapter is purely smut, so if you don't want to read gratuitous sex for the sake of gratuitous sex then feel free to skip to chapter eight. You won't miss anything, other than sex._**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

After Madelyn left him there in the hall, massaging her fist, her lips slightly swollen from his unlooked for kiss, she knew she needed to get out of the house. It was all she could do to keep her hands steady as she slipped on her sneakers, adjusted her earpod, and toggled the running playlist on her ipod.

She ran for an hour. When she returned to the house, she was breathing deeply and sweating just a little. She went quickly up the stairs, hoping to avoid Harrison. The kiss still played over and over again in her mind. It had been so completely unexpected, and yet it had completely turned her on. The way his lips had felt against hers had been too much. The only thing that kept her from turning into a horny little shit was her run. Now suddenly she realized she was wildly attracted to him. From the moment she'd met him in central London just two days earlier, she'd been attracted to him, but this was a different sort of attraction now. She wanted him.

It was as though he'd read her thoughts.

After she'd showered and dressed, she headed down the hall towards the stairs, her stomach rumbling. She paused though when she turned the corner. Harrison was standing there waiting for her, blocking her way downstairs. His gaze snatched hers and he advanced, taking two long strides to grab her and push her back against the wall.

He seized her wrists and held them above her head with one hand, his kisses sucking the breath from her lungs. She muttered protests between gasps as his teeth skirted across her jaw and nibbled down her neck. Caught between the cold wall and his warm body, she felt his member pressing against her through his trousers. She gasped as his mouth found its way to her ear and left a wet hot trail across her face to her lips. His free hand slid inside her shirt to grab her breast as his mouth continued its relentless path across her skin. In a matter of moments, he'd reduced her to a trembling mess, squirming in his grip.

His fingers grazed her collarbones and ripped her shirt off with little effort, then made quick work of her bra. She sucked in air as he attacked her mouth again but he hardly let her breathe. She could barely keep up with him. His hand slid inside her pants and massaged her just so she would struggle against him more. She bucked against him, her eyes falling shut out of pleasure. The zipper on her pants broke as he pushed his hand down further and slid several long fingers inside her. She whimpered at his roughness, but the pleasure overshadowed the pain. She wrapped her legs around him to steady herself. He whispered into her ear, his deep voice dangerously smooth.

"I will make you beg for me."

She muttered his name in complaint as he withdrew his fingers from her, and carried her into the closest bedroom. She collapsed into the large old-fashioned bed, breathing hard, her legs unconsciously spread across the sheets. Harrison quickly shed his own clothing then knelt over her to tear her jeans down her legs. As his fingers scaled up her bare legs, for one brief moment, she admired his physique, the sinew in his legs, his engorged member protruding from narrow hips, his subtly toned chest, the broadness of his shoulders, the way his dark hair fell over his eyes. His fingers ripped her panties away as she reached for him, tangling her fingers in his thick hair.

He fell over her, his hips hovering above her, his member brushing the inside of her thigh. His fingers wrapped around her arms, pressing them into the sheets so she was helpless underneath him. He was so _strong_; she thought he would crush her. His hair trailed across her cheeks and neck as he kissed her down her shoulders, biting the sensitive skin on her collarbones. She moaned as she felt the tip of his member brush her. She spread her legs further and bucked her hips into the air, willing him to enter her. He smiled against her skin, his fingers kneading her arms in their tight grip.

"Beg for me, Madelyn," he whispered.

He swiveled his hips, allowing himself to slide inside her just enough before immediately sliding back out. She whimpered at the wide emptiness he left inside her.

"I want you," she said in a desperate voice. "I need you in me, John."

"What do you need me for?" he said, his voice dangerously deep.

She swallowed as he prodded her once more, teasing her body with the power he held over her. He nibbled at her neck.

"I need you to fuck me," she pleaded.

She gasped when he plunged inside of her, filling her so tightly that she struggled to catch her breath. His grip on her arms tightened. She arched into the air, her body pressing against him, her arms trapped beneath his firm hands. He slid out and thrust himself back into her with a grunt. She wrapped her legs tightly around him, an inarticulate moan escaping her lips. Soon the headboard was steadily beating against the wall.

The last things she recollected were his fingers tracing her swollen lips, his thumb slipping inside her open mouth, trailing along her jaw. And his eyes, dark pools of blue-green, locked onto her face as she trembled underneath him, her body giving one last shiver before her mind faded away into a deep sleep.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open. The room was dark. It was night outside the window across the room. She lay on her side with Harrison's arms locked around her, pulling her tightly to his naked body even in sleep. Her chin rested against his shoulder. She could feel his chest expanding and contracting just slightly, his slow, steady breaths brushing the top of her head.

She shifted, tangling her legs with his. In that instant she felt a wave of exhaustion rush over her. She couldn't know how long he'd ravished her for, how many times he'd brought her to climax, until she could hardly breath right and her eyes were clouded with stars when they weren't clenched shut.

She lifted her chin slightly and snuggled her head deeper into the pillow. Harrison inhaled deeply, his hands sliding down her back. "I'll be leaving soon," he said under his breath.

Despite the disappointment that struck her, Madelyn smiled softly at the vibration his voice caused in his chest. She tilted her chin up to look at him. She could just make out his cheekbones in the darkness. He opened his eyes; they were dark like the bottom of the ocean.

His hands slid further down her body, one arm underneath her, wrapped around her hips, the other sliding between the sheets and her bare back. His fingers trailed over her hips and thighs and slid down between her legs. Her fingers snaked into his hair.

She gasped as his long fingers slipped inside her, his thumb pressing against her just enough to make her arch against him frantically. With a flick of his thumb, her abdominal muscles seized and she clenched her fists around his roots. Desperate noises escaped her lips. His fingers twisted inside of her, and his thumb made quick work of her self-control. She wanted him to fill her again. She wanted him to fuck her senseless. But he finished her with his fingers, his thumb brushing her just right, taking from her throat a last desperate cry of agonizing pleasure.

She shuddered against him, gasping for air, her hands sliding from his scalp to his chest. His breath was hot on her neck. She recalled his hands sliding across her skin one last time.

When she woke again, it was because she was so cold. She snuggled deeper into the sheets, curling her legs up against her bare body. She was exhausted, and freezing. There was light streaming through the window across the room. She turned over towards Harrison, her hand falling into a cool, wrinkled indentation in the sheets.

He was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: ****_Hey readers! So I just want to apologize for the shortness of these chapters. It's pretty much because of how the story came to me and how its unfolding and plus this is the first draft and first drafts are always shit. The lack of updates has been due to my being out of the country for six weeks but I'm back now and I hope you're enjoying this story regardless!_**

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

An entire day passed without any word from Harrison. Madelyn had no idea where he'd gone, and the number he'd given her was no longer in service. Gallagher came over once, to drop off a package someone had left for her grandfather at his downtown office. Madelyn tried to talk to him but he seemed in a hurry and left after barely making eye contact with her.

She felt a pang of guilt as he left, and a tinge of loneliness. When she returned to the living room where the television was showing images of the bombing in downtown London from that morning, she immediately switched it off. The news had never done anything to calm her nerves, and seeing images of rubble and injured people only made her stomach turn. She called Kelly at her grandfather's building, but no one picked up. She hoped the damage hadn't been so extensive that it had reached that sector of the city. And deep down she prayed that Harrison hadn't been in the city during the attack.

Gallagher called her that evening, telling her to turn on the television again. She did so begrudgingly and only because of his frantic tone. There'd been another attack, this time in San Francisco, on Starfleet headquarters itself.

_"I've been ordered back to Starfleet tonight to help deal with this mess. I hope you'll be alright—"_

"I'll be fine, Owen," she replied curtly, then added for good measure, "I'm sure John will check up on me by tomorrow."

_"Right, I forgot about him. Listen, if you need anything—"_

"Owen." She cut him off again. "Just stop. I don't need your help. I'll be fine."

_"Alright,"_ he conceded before hanging up abruptly.

She jumped when there was a loud knock at the front door. Her heart felt light as she thought of Harrison and that he might have decided to turn up, but when she opened the door she was met by three armed men dressed in Starfleet uniforms. Their scowling faces gave her no comfort.

"Madelyn McGivers?"

She glanced at them both. "Yes?"

"As a known associate of a wanted fugitive terrorist, you are to be placed under the care and control of Starfleet Captain James Tiberius Kirk until further notice. Please come with us immediately, Ms. McGivers."

Madelyn stood in the doorway with one hand on the door and the other in her pocket. She stared at the man who'd just spoken. "I'm sorry," she said slowly. "There must be some mistake."

"There is no mistake, Ms. McGivers. Now please come with us. I don't want to make this hard on you."

She blanched at his last sentence. "I haven't done anything."

"Miss, this is for your own personal safety. You'd be wise to come with us now, or we'll be forced to restrain you."

She leaned against the doorjamb and crossed her arms. "Can I see some proof of this?"

The men exchanged glances and the one who was doing most of the speaking held up a tablet. Madelyn glanced at it, seeing that there were in fact official Starfleet orders to take her into custody for "fraternization with a terrorist." She sighed, immediately regretting that she'd ever let Owen Gallagher into her home. "Can I grab my things?"

"It'd be best if we left now, miss."

She glanced at the state of the house behind her and figured her life was worth more. Then she looked down at her feet. "Can I at least put some shoes on?"

The officer pointed behind her. "I believe those will suffice."

She turned and saw her old muddy leather boots sitting on the shoe rack by the wall. She grabbed them and shoved them on without lacing them up, then was escorted down the walk by the three men. As soon as she was seated in their vehicle, she felt something pierce her neck. She reached up to swat it away, but as she looked up she saw the trees growing blurry. Her own hand sluggishly nodded in the air. Her body slumped into the seat and her eyes slid shut.


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:****_ So this chapter turned out to be rather long. Sorry for the inconsistency. I also appreciate all of the feedback I've received, and thanks to _peerme_ for giving me an idea for the story! Enjoy!_**

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

There was a low humming noise, accompanied by a faint vibration that seemed to fill her body and her bed and the entire room.

Madelyn's eyes snapped open suddenly. The room she was in was tiny in comparison to a normal bedroom, only this was more than a bedroom. There was a sink in the corner, with a mirror above it. Cabinets and empty shelves took up the space above the desk on the opposite wall.

She flew out of the bed and grappled at the only door in the room. It wouldn't open. Her fingers prodded at it, trying to see if she could pry it open. She kicked it, she pounded her fist at it and yelled, but no one came and the door didn't open.

She turned again and noticed a small porthole window above the bed. She climbed up and peered outside. There was only darkness, scattered with millions of stars. And then the darkness turned blue and her head spun and her stomach churned. She dropped her gaze from the window and collapsed back into the bed. She'd never been on a ship traveling at warp before. She didn't think it was supposed to have that much of a physical effect on the body. She got up again after her head and stomach had calmed down. She beat on the door again, calling out, screaming that she'd done nothing wrong. Someone had put her on this ship without her permission and she wanted _off_.

She jumped back when the door finally did slid open. A slender dark-skinned woman walked in and shut the door behind her. She had brown eyes and long dark hair slicked back into a ponytail.

"Madelyn McGivers, I'm Lieutenant Nyota Uhura. I've been ordered to explain your situation to you."

Madelyn stood her ground with clenched fists, staring at the woman. "Why was I brought onboard this ship without my permission?"

Uhura seemed as frustrated as Madelyn. "I'm afraid your situation called for quick action. We were about to jump into hyperspace when we received a communiqué from a Starfleet officer named Owen Gallagher, who insisted you could be helpful with our mission. He claimed you knew Commander John Harrison. My question is how well do you know him, and how involved with him are you?"

Madelyn didn't break her gaze. "What does John have to do with all this? And that's an extremely personal question that I really don't want to answer."

Uhura tilted her chin. "Maybe I should put it this way. Were you involved in any way with Harrison's bombing in London or his attack on Starfleet Command in San Francisco?"

Madelyn felt her breath catch in her throat. "What? No, no I would never… Are you telling me that John was—" She hesitated, almost unwilling to verbalize the idea. "That he was responsible for those attacks?"

Uhura seemed unfazed. "Yes."

Madelyn exhaled slowly, her fists unclenching themselves. She didn't know what else to say.

"You knew nothing about this?" said Lieutenant Uhura.

"No…"

"When we capture Harrison, the Captain will want you to talk to him."

"And then he'll let me go?"

"I don't know. It's not my decision to make."

Madelyn swallowed as Uhura eyed her for another moment, then turned and left her there, the sliding door locking behind her.

* * *

The ship lurched. Madelyn groaned, the sharp corner of the small table beside the bed jamming itself into her head, waking her from a deep dreamless sleep. They must have dropped out of hyperspace. She couldn't imagine that was what it was supposed to feel like.

She sat up, feeling her forehead. There was blood on her fingers. She went to examine herself in the mirror. That table must have been very firmly attached to the floor to withstand a collision with her head. She couldn't remember a time when she'd received an injury that drew blood, except for the time she jumped from the tree house in her father's backyard when she was nine. She'd been convinced by a video on the Internet that if she jumped at just the right angle, she could fly instead of fall. Instead, she'd crashed face first into the ground and splintered several bones. The doctors had said she was resilient though, and were very surprised that she hadn't been injured worse. Her father had always described her as his little steel soldier.

She washed her face and brushed her bangs down over her forehead. The bleeding had already stopped. Now no one would be able to tell she'd been injured by the ship's jolt.

She paced the cabin for a while, then dropped to the floor to do pushups. Nothing killed time like a good workout. Fifty pushups later and a crew member walked in with a platter of food and a bag that appeared to contain clothing. Madelyn grabbed the food and scarfed it down, a lump of mashed potatoes, a forkful of string beans, and two strips of bacon. She hadn't eaten since the afternoon before she'd been brought aboard the ship without her permission, and that was assuming she hadn't been out for too long between. After she finished eating, she put on the clothing that had been brought for her, a simple dark shirt in a green hue, black pants that clung to her legs, an old pair of surprisingly comfortable boots, and a soft jacket.

Not a moment after she'd finished changing, two armed men came to her room and escorted her without a word to the ship's hangar. She wrapped her hair loosely at the base of her neck as they walked. In the hangar she was greeted by the Enterprise's captain.

"James T. Kirk," said the blond haired blue eyed man who smiled at her in a way that made Madelyn want to roll her eyes. "And this is my first officer, Spock. You've already met Lieutenant Uhura. Oh and this is Doctor Leonard McCoy. He's just here to make sure you—"

She didn't care and cut him off. "What am I doing here, Captain? Nobody asked me if I wanted to come onboard this ship. I could sue."

"Yeah, I really don't think that'd serve any of our interests," replied Kirk. "Listen, this guy John Harrison. You know him, we both know what he did, and I've got orders to bring you with us on any attempt to make contact with him, and that includes getting information out of him. I hope we can come to an understanding on this, Ms. McGivers."

Madelyn glanced at the woman and the Vulcan as they climbed onboard the small craft behind Kirk. "I still don't understand why."

Kirk lowered his voice, his chin tilting downwards in a way that made Madelyn know she needed to pay attention. "If what your friend Owen Gallagher said is true, then you know Harrison better than anyone—"

Madelyn cut him off. "First off, Owen Gallagher is not my friend. He tried to kill me. At least, he walked into my home with a gun, and that was enough for me to want him gone." Except that wasn't true. Harrison had kicked him out. She had been angry with both of them. "Second of all, I don't know Harrison better than anyone. I've barely known him for a week."

"Really? Because from some of the images I was shown, you two seemed to have hit it off pretty well." He lowered his voice again to a whisper, his nose and eyes scrunching up as though he were trying to be sarcastic. "It's the hands. They always give it away."

Madelyn clenched her jaw, feeling her cheeks grow hot. She didn't want to imagine what sort of images Kirk was referring to, and she certainly didn't want to think about how much of her privacy had been invaded in order to get those images.

"If I get on this ship, where will I end up?"

"We're going to Kronos, the last reported location of John Harrison."

"Kronos?" Madelyn exclaimed. "That's the Klingon homeworld!"

The doctor cut in behind her. "Well look who paid attention in school."

Madelyn ignored him, but she didn't move from her position a few meters from the ship's door.

Kirk rolled his eyes. "For god's sake, just get on the ship."

She scoffed at him. "You really think I want to? If John Harrison is as bad as everyone is saying he is, then why would I want to go anywhere near him?"

The idea stung her when she realized what it meant. He'd always been so smooth and civil with her, she could hardly imagine him doing anything remotely illegal. But to be responsible for the London bombing, and the attack on Starfleet headquarters? If the allegation was true, which she had failed to see any proof that it was, then it meant Harrison wasn't someone she wanted to see ever again. She'd wipe that part of her life out of her memory. She'd move to another house. She's move to another country if she had to. Their relationship had only existed for a few days. A few days, and she'd already allowed him into her bed. She felt dirty for half a second.

"Ms. McGivers, I really need you to get on this ship." Kirk's hand was firmly wrapped around her arm.

"Nope," she said with a stubborn smile.

"Damnit Jim, you said I wouldn't have to do this."

Kirk rolled his eyes. She felt something prick her neck. _Not again. These people really have issues with transportation without permission, _she thought before she blacked out.

* * *

She woke to a violent jolt. She was strapped into a seat in the back of the ship she'd previously refused to climb into. Kirk, Spock, and Uhura were yelling at each other in the cockpit, and the ship felt as though it was being flung around on a slingshot. Madelyn gripped the edge of her seat with her fingertips, and strained to see out the cockpit's window.

"We'll fit! We'll fit!" the captain was shouting.

Before Madelyn could consider what they were trying to fit their ship through, it turned ninety degrees on its side, flinging her into the back of her seat. She squished her eyes shut as the ship lurched again and again, still flying sideways. Then it righted itself and came to a sudden halt.

"See, I told you we'd fit," Kirk said in a fit of glee.

"I am not sure that qualifies," Spock replied.

"Well we lost them."

There was a moment of calm, until Uhura pointed out that their scanners were being jammed. Madelyn assumed they were scanning the planet for Harrison.

Suddenly the cockpit was flooded with a spotlight. A guttural voice came on a loudspeaker outside the ship.

"Aw shit," Kirk spat.

"Klingons?" Madelyn offered. Nobody paid her any mind.

"They're ordering us to land, Captain," Uhura said. "They're going to want to know why we're here. They're going to torture us, question us, and kill us."

"Then we go out fighting," Kirk replied.

"Captain, we're outnumbered, outgunned," Uhura countered. "There's no way we'll survive if we attack first."

Kirk hesitated. "So what do we do?"

"You brought me here because I can speak Klingon," Uhura firmly replied, lifting her chin to disguise her fear. "So let me speak it."

Madelyn glanced at Spock, catching a glint of unease in his normally unreadable expression. Kirk set his jaw, glancing around at all of them. Then he nodded to Lieutenant Uhura. "Alright."

They landed their craft, still in the spotlights of the surrounding Klingon vessels. Cold, dry air flooded the vessel's interior as the door hissed open. The boarding ramp settled into the dry soil and after a glance back at Spock, Uhura stepped outside, slipping a phaser Kirk had given her into her clothing.

When she'd disappeared from sight, Kirk glanced over at Madelyn and handed her a phaser as well. "If things go south, you use this and don't hesitate. Just point and shoot."

She turned the unfamiliar weapon over in her hands then looked up at Kirk with a worried expression. "I don't want to kill him."

He blinked, looking at her oddly, then turned his attention to the window that offered a clear view of Uhura. "Don't worry, it's set to stun."

Madelyn wrapped her fingers slowly around the handle of the phaser, hoping against hope she wouldn't have to use it. She was wrong.

The Klingons didn't take to Uhura's attempt at a peaceful negotiation. As their leader lifted Uhura off the ground by her jaw, he was struck by weapons fire that didn't come from their ship's direction. The other warriors in his party blanched as their leader keeled over and Uhura drew her phaser. Madelyn watched as Kirk and Spock ran out into the fray, weapons drawn. She perched on the edge of her seat, watching from inside the cockpit. The Klingons were brutal, and Kirk and the others were completely outnumbered. She clutched at the phaser in her hands, her heart thumping in her chest.

Heavy footsteps coming up the ship's ramp shuddered the hull. Madelyn stood as a Klingon warrior appeared in the door, wielding a _daqtagh_ in each hand. When he saw her he advanced, baring his teeth with a growl. Without thinking she raised her phaser and shot him, but a quick raise of his weapons blocked the pulse. Her eyes widening at the sheer bulk of her attacker as he charged towards her, she ducked his swings and scooted around him, running down the ship's ramp. She aimed another shot at him as he followed her out of the ship. He growled furiously as she managed to evade his frenzied but precise parries. She knew she was fast.

Phaser fire hissed above her through the air. She paused just long enough to see Kirk, Spock, and Uhura spread around the area, barely holding their ground. She glanced back at her pursuer just as he advanced and knocked her to the ground with his fist. Her face stung. She spat out dirt and tried to catch her breath. The Klingon knelt over her and latched his fingers around her throat. She felt herself being lifted off the ground, her airway constricting. She kicked at him frantically, her phaser slipping from her grasp as she pried at his fingers. She tried desperately to take in oxygen. The Klingon grinned, his nasal piercings glimmering amongst the stars in her vision. He was going to strangle her to death. She swung her boot into his abdomen, but he didn't budge. She tried to scream but there was no air left in her. The sensation left her fingers and her attempts to loosen his grip failed. She thought she heard him laughing deep in his throat. Then heavy weapons fire snagged him in the neck.

Madelyn collapsed to the dirt like a ragdoll, her legs buckling beneath her. She gasped for air, her lungs burning as oxygen rushed inside them again. There was a heavy thud close by. She glanced over at the body of her pursuer, now laying motionless in the dirt beside her. She braced herself and tried to push off the ground, gasping and choking. Then an iron grip took her arm and pulled her up. She leaned into it to steady herself, her eyes noting the figure beside her. He was tall, dressed in black, wielding a large weapon. Her steady breaths stopped for half a moment as her eyes locked with John Harrison's impenetrable gaze.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

He didn't speak. He stared at her, wondering why the hell, out of all people, _she_ was here. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, her eyes wide with shock. Her deep brown hair was messy, falling out of its loose ties, and a thin trail of hot red blood dripped down the side of her dirty face. She swallowed, winced, and raised a hand to her throat. There would be bruises there tomorrow. Harrison felt his blood pressure rise as he recalled the monster that had almost crushed her windpipe, his body now a carcass in the dust.

A burst of weapons fire close by distracted him, but he didn't let her go. He disposed of his attacker quickly, then pulled her behind him as he ran for temporary shelter behind a large hangar. She strained against him, her teeth clenched, her gaze fixed on his fingers wrapped around her arm as they protruded from his fingerless gloves. He softened his grip, enough to ease her discomfort, but not enough to let her go. His eyes scoped their immediate surroundings. For the moment they were alone.

Someone called her name nearby. He watched as she turned towards the voice, her eyes darting frantically from shadow to building to crevice, searching for the owner of the voice. She stiffened as weapons fire ricocheted off a nearby wall. Heavy boot steps made the ground beneath their feet vibrate. Harrison pulled her flush to him. He could smell the sweat and fear on her.

"Stay here," he ordered calmly. "Don't move from this position."

Then he released her. He half expected her to dart away like a frightened doe, but she didn't. She stood there, looking up at him, her lips barely parted, her breathing labored. He reached up and wiped the trail of blood from her cheek onto his glove. His bare finger grazed her skin and he noticed her breathing hitch just slightly. Then the source of the heavy boot steps revealed themselves around the corner. Harrison gripped his weapons and whirled to strike them down.

* * *

Madelyn watched frozen as Harrison swung his weapon through the air, knocking two Klingons off their feet, and shooting down two more. He leaped onto a pile of crates, simultaneously sending a rain of weapons fire into a ship hovering above them, and then disappeared from her sight. The ship lost control due to Harrison's damage and spun uncontrollably through the air.

Kirk called her name again and she answered back.

"I'm here!" she yelled over the noise of the crashing ship. The captain appeared around the corner and grabbed her.

"Come on! Let's get you back to the ship."

She started to protest as they ran between buildings back towards the clearing where their vessel waited. The weapons fire had stopped. Suddenly Uhura and Spock appeared in front of them with alarmed expressions. Kirk and Madelyn whirled around as a figure cloaked in black jumped down from a cargo container, landing firmly on his feet barely a meter away.

"That's him," Madelyn muttered to Kirk. He still hadn't let go of her.

Spock raised his phaser and aimed at Harrison. Madelyn barely caught her shout of protest, but it didn't matter as Harrison easily knocked the Vulcan against the wall, his phaser tumbling out of reach. Uhura ran to assist him, leaving Kirk and Madelyn in Harrison's reach. His blue eyes peered keenly at them both through his black hair that had come loose and hung over the side of his face. He seemed broader, taller to Madelyn, dressed in a black cloak with thick protective shoulders and long sleeves. The weapon in his hand was an enormous phaser cannon, something an average man wouldn't have been able to swing around as easily as Harrison had. She didn't care that she was staring at him. His presence, the way he carried himself, what he was doing, it all shocked her.

"How many torpedoes?" he said suddenly, raising the cannon to Kirk's chest. His gaze flitted to Madelyn for a millisecond. She stiffened as Kirk's hand tightened around her arm, probably an instinct against Harrison's own threat.

"The torpedoes!" Harrison repeated, stepping forward to press the cannon into Kirk's chest. "The ones you threatened me with in your message! How many are there?"

Kirk refused to answer. Madelyn furrowed her eyebrows, confused by the strange query. What did it matter how many torpedoes aimed at them? One would be enough to incinerate them all.

"Seventy-two," Spock replied from behind them.

Harrison took a step back and removed the cannon from Kirk's chest, letting it slip from his hand and drop to the ground. Madelyn swallowed again, her throat aching, her neck tensing from the pain. He looked at her again, his expression hard as marble, unreadable with only an unfamiliar glimmer in his eyes.

"I surrender."

Madelyn stepped backwards to regain her balance as Kirk let her go. He stepped towards Harrison and swung his fist at the man's jaw.

"Kirk!" she screamed. "Don't—" Her words were cut short when Harrison didn't budge, his face merely reacting to the punch as though a single finger had pressed against his jaw. Kirk swung at him again. Madelyn watched dumbfounded. Harrison showed little to no reaction with every pummel. Kirk swung his knee up into Harrison's stomach. Harrison stumbled backwards slightly, then straightened to meet Kirk's gaze. The captain was bending over in pain, his hand on his knee. Madelyn reached over and pressed a hand to his shoulder. "Stop this."

The panic she had felt as Kirk first moved to attack Harrison was replaced with disconcertion at Harrison's seeming inability to feel pain, and Kirk was doing himself no favors. But the captain swung at him once more, keeling over in agony as his hand took the brunt of his own attack. Harrison tilted his chin down, watching him curiously, his hands hanging loosely by his sides. Kirk struggled to his feet.

"Captain!" Spock called, meeting Madelyn's gaze. Kirk groaned and slowly straightened as Harrison looked on, waiting.

"Take him to the ship," Kirk said through gritted teeth. Uhura pulled Spock to his feet, then they both surrounded Harrison.

Uhura aimed her phaser into Harrison's back. "Let's go."

He waited until Kirk stormed past them to look at Madelyn one more time. His expression was unmoved, despite the weapon pointed into his spinal cord. At this point Madelyn doubted a phaser blast would harm him much. She met his gaze with a slight lift of her chin. His eyes narrowed.

She felt his gaze burning into her back as she moved past them after Kirk. She seated herself inside the craft without a word, glancing up as Harrison, Spock, and Uhura boarded. Harrison seated himself against the back wall, across from Madelyn. Uhura kept her phaser trained on him even as the ship lifted off of Kronos.

She wanted to melt into the wall of the ship. His eyes wouldn't leave her. They flitted from her face to her hands that subconsciously gripped the edge of her seat, turning her knuckles white; from her hands to her filthy boots, in which one foot was kicked back on its toe under the seat; and back up to her face, where they remained until they arrived on the Enterprise and he was escorted out of the hangar by six security officers. But as Madelyn stood in the doorway of the vessel, watching them lead Harrison away, he turned and gave her one more look, a soft gaze, his jaw more relaxed.

For a moment, she wanted to know what was happening inside his head. And then she realized she wasn't even sure this was the same man she'd known in London.


	11. Chapter 11

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: ****_I'm on a roll guys! Thanks so much for reading. I really feel like I'm actually taking this story somewhere with this chapter, but I'd love to hear your feedback! Enjoy!_**

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Madelyn scrubbed furiously at her skin, watching as streams of dirty suds weaved down her arms and legs. Her fingers tangled in her scalp, feeling grains that she'd missed the first time around. When she stepped out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and stared at her reflection in the tiny mirror. A green bruise was starting to form on her right cheekbone where a Klingon had struck her with his armored hand. Her neck was already showing signs of bruising from the same attacker. Kronos had not done her any favors.

The com chimed beside her cabin door. She went over and held the button with her thumb. "Yes?"

"Captain Kirk needs you in five minutes on the bridge." It was Lieutenant Uhura.

Madelyn sighed. "Alright, I'll be there."

She hastily dried herself off, rubbing her hair with the towel, then pulled on the clothing she'd worn when she was drugged and taken to the Enterprise without her permission; a plain white shirt and form-fitting olive green trousers. She tugged on her old boots and quickly laced them up. By that time, Uhura had rang her com twice, so Madelyn was forced to hastily braid her hair on their way to the bridge.

Uhura nodded to the guards at the door of the bridge and they were allowed inside. Kirk and Spock rose from their respective chairs and nodded to Madelyn.

"I wish I'd been able to explain your situation more clearly to you, Ms. McGivers," said Kirk. "We had a time crunch."

Madelyn crossed her arms, hoping to make her frustration with her "situation" a little clearer. "I really just need someone to tell me why I was forced onto this ship without my permission." Then she added, "And it's Madelyn."

Kirk seemed a little too charmed that she wanted them to use her first name. Spock spoke up before the captain could come up with what she assumed would be a lame pick up line.

"Given the identity of your acquaintance, Madelyn, I should think that your situation would be clear enough already," said the Vulcan. "Were you not informed of his crimes prior to boarding the Enterprise?"

Madelyn scoffed at him. "What was I supposed to believe when armed men showed up at my doorstep expecting me to go with them? You have no idea what's happened to me over the past week."

Spock raised an eyebrow, but Kirk glanced down at his feet before he spoke. "Listen, I had my orders from on high to collect you. We have images that prove you've spent a lot of time with Harrison recently."

"Where did you get these images?" she pressed.

"Commander Owen Gallagher provided them, at the behest of the head of Starfleet, Admiral Alexander Marcus," said Spock.

Madelyn felt her cheeks grow hot. "That _bastard_," she hissed.

"You said he tried to kill you," Kirk pressed. "You meant Commander Gallagher?"

"Of course! It was John Harrison who kicked him out of my house!"

Kirk seemed dumbfounded and prepared to retort, but Madelyn just shook her head and held up a hand. "You know what, just forget it. What's done is done, and look where it's brought us." She directed her gaze at Spock. "I'm guessing you want me to talk to him now that you've got him."

Kirk nodded with a rueful look, but Spock took her gaze firmly. "That is why you were brought on board this ship. Failure to cooperate could lead to your own incrimination in—"

"I had nothing to do with the attacks!" she exclaimed, interrupting them for the second time. "And I had no idea John was involved with them!"

"How interesting, she refers to him by his first name. This would indicate they share an intimate connection," Spock noted to Kirk. Kirk ignored the Vulcan.

Madelyn bit her lip as Kirk explained what needed to be done in order to get information out of Harrison, information she knew wouldn't apply to her.

But an intimate connection? Madelyn was having a hard time placing that label onto her relationship with Harrison. In London he'd been kind, gentle, maybe a little too protective, but he'd never shown the propensity for violence he demonstrated so easily on Kronos. Altogether he'd taken out three Klingon vessels and countless warriors on the ground. He was incredibly stronger than he looked, and he'd barely said a word to her, as if he didn't know her. And to accept that he was responsible for not only the bombing in London that claimed possibly hundreds of lives, but for the attack on the Daystrom building in San Francisco, it made her stomach churn.

But ultimately, it was the way he'd looked at her, constantly, with those cold, unflinching blue eyes. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up just thinking about it.

"Madelyn, are you ready?" Spock was saying.

She blinked back to the present. Kirk had crossed his arms and was drumming his fingers on his bicep impatiently. She centered her gaze on him.

"It's not like you're giving me a choice."

* * *

She was escorted by two security officers, behind Kirk and Spock, down the long white corridors of the ship. She was their prisoner, in her mind at least, and she knew if she turned and tried to escape back down the corridor, they would pursue her and probably restrain her. But every step she took made her stomach clench and her palms sweat.

They stepped through two sets of locked and coded doors, and then they came into a larger room lit with harsh lights. Harrison stood behind a wide glass wall that offered him no privacy, his right arm protruding through a small hole within the glass allowing Doctor McCoy to take a blood sample. When Kirk approached the doctor, he nodded and glanced at Madelyn. "Has Bones had a look at your neck?" he asked.

Madelyn glanced at Harrison, who returned her look with coolness. She swallowed, stifling her reaction to the pain it caused, then shook her head. She opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it as Bones carefully inspected the bruises on her neck and cheek. He turned to Kirk after a moment. "She'll be fine. Just try to avoid anymore Klingons," Bones said to her.

She gave the doctor a cool look, a reaction, she realized, to Harrison's fixated gaze from over his shoulder. He was making her so _nervous_. Bones nodded to Kirk and Spock, and left them there with Harrison.

Madelyn wanted to sink into the floor, but was saved when Kirk planted himself in Harrison's face. Were it not for the thick glass between them, the two men would have been breathing down each other's throats. Spock remained close by but appeared to prefer some distance between him and the prisoner.

Snagging a moment in which Harrison's attention was devoted to Kirk, Madelyn observed him uneasily. He'd been allowed to clean himself up. His hair was slicked back off of his face like he preferred to wear it and he was dressed in a standard Starfleet uniform, all black. She found this ironically appropriate. His expression was cold and calculating. His eyes carried a menacing intelligence that seemed to dwarf Kirk's attempt at an air of authority.

Whether it was because she was staring at him so closely or because he could smell the tension that was surely leaking out of her pores, Harrison's scrutiny fell on her again. Madelyn pulled her hands behind her back just so she could wipe her sweaty palms on her shirt without him seeing. She swallowed again, blinking back tears at the discomfort it caused her, but she half wondered if she was distraught with the strange front Harrison had adopted. Although he was speaking to Kirk, he kept his eyes fixed on her over the captain's shoulder. His gaze was protected in a shield of hardness, no longer gleaming with interest in her, no longer keen and soft, nothing like the way he'd looked at her before.

She desperately hoped Kirk realized where Harrison's attention truly lay. She knew the captain was going to force her to talk to him. She knew Kirk thought she could get information out of him. She watched Harrison lift his chin slightly as Kirk broached the subject of the torpedoes. She could feel his piercing gaze taking every piece of her apart.

Something had changed.

"There are men and women in all those torpedoes, Captain," said Harrison. "I put them there."

Now Madelyn was paying attention. The idea of putting people into torpedoes made no sense. Kirk clearly felt the same way. He hesitated long enough to betray his incredulity and Harrison smirked.

"Who the hell are you?" Kirk shot at him.

This was the question Harrison seemed to be waiting for. His gaze flitted from Madelyn as he turned and paced across his cell, his hands folded behind his back. She breathed easier and dropped her hands to her sides.

"A remnant of a time long past. Genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war." He turned and strode back towards the glass. "But my people were condemned as criminals, forced into exile. For centuries we slept, hoping when we woke again things would be different, but as a result of the destruction of Vulcan, your Starfleet began to aggressively search distant quadrants of space. My ship was found adrift. I alone was revived."

His hard exterior broke for a split second in which Madelyn was watching him closely, and for that split second, she didn't fear him. But just as quickly as his mask disappeared, a new, harder one replaced it.

Kirk shook his head. "I looked up John Harrison. Until a year ago he didn't exist."

Madelyn glanced at the captain. Why had no one given her this information? On edge for Harrison's response, she looked back at him and froze. He'd seen the confusion written all over her face. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he regarded Kirk with his words.

"John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause, a smokescreen to conceal my true identity." His stony gaze shifted and fixated on Madelyn. "My name is Khan."

There was a moment of silence. Kirk shifted his weight, not breaking eye contact with the man who was now calling himself Khan. Madelyn glanced at Spock, who stood at her shoulder, but he showed no response. The name rang a bell in her mind, some remnant of a quick history lesson in grade school perhaps. She couldn't bring herself to consider it further.

Finally Kirk broke the silence. "Why would a Starfleet admiral ask a three hundred year old frozen man for help?"

"Because," said Khan slowly, "I am better."

Kirk shrugged. "At what?"

Khan's face seemed to shed an invisible mantle of discretion. "Everything."

The room fell silent again. Kirk was agitated; Madelyn could see the tension in his neck, the way his fists clenched and unclenched, and so could Khan. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. Madelyn wondered if he thought he'd gotten under Kirk's skin and claimed control of the room. In a moment of daring, she caught his gaze, and held it. This time it was Khan who looked away.

"What is she doing here?" he asked calmly, staring Kirk dead in the eye. The change in subject made Madelyn's heart sink.

"Do you know her?" Kirk replied.

Madelyn clenched her jaw and glared at Kirk. He already knew the answer to that question. Clearly he wanted to somehow implicate her with Khan's actions.

Khan's eyes flitted back to her, unreadable. "Yes, I know her."

"Did she play any part in your attacks?" Kirk pressed.

Madelyn held her breath, waiting for him to lie, to make it easier on himself, to give Kirk an excuse to slam her into cuffs and have her join him in that cell.

"No, she did not."

She let out her breath, relieved, but confused. The tension in the room slowly abated. Kirk seemed to relax as well, but only a little. He nodded to the security officers waiting by the door. "Take her back to her room. We'll finish this later."

Madelyn backed away from the glass a few steps as the two officers flanked her. She felt as though Khan was looking right through her. His gaze was so indifferent, unfeeling, but even as she mustered the courage to send him a soft look of confusion, he returned his attention to Kirk and Spock. A pacifying wave flooded her mind as she turned her back and was escorted from the room.

John Harrison was dead.


	12. Chapter 12

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello readers! This chapter is a bit of a doozy and an info dump, so feel free to reread so you don't miss anything. And as always, reviews and criticism are more than welcome! Thanks for reading!**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

Two hours passed like five minutes in Madelyn's mind as she paced her tiny cabin. She crumpled a piece of paper in her hand, which contained handwritten notes from Spock briefly explaining the rest of what had transpired during Kirk's confrontation with Khan. Conflicting thoughts raced through her head, blocking out all other emotional outlets she would normally use to escape these sort of stressful situations. Except this wasn't just any stressful situation. This was Khan Noonien Singh, a tyrannical figure she'd read about in grade school alongside the likes of Hitler and Mao and Mussolini. This was a man she knew would have no problem snapping her neck if it came down to it. And this was a man to whom she'd given the most intimate part of herself.

But that part was almost untrue when she thought about it enough. She could convince herself it was untrue because it was John Harrison that she'd known, not Khan. And John Harrison didn't exist anymore.

All of these things raced through her mind as she was escorted from her cabin back to Khan's cell. Captain Kirk and Spock were standing rigidly beside the cell's glass wall, and watched her almost as closely as Khan when she approached. She stopped before she reached them, leaving some distance between herself and Khan. This didn't go unnoticed by him, as he lifted his chin slightly, but her attention was fixed on Kirk.

"If you're going to stand there, at least don't look so pleased with yourself, Captain," she said.

Spock raised an eyebrow in a way that could have indicated amusement, if it were possible for him to feel that way. Madelyn stayed where she was, waiting.

"I would ask that you give us privacy, Captain, if you want me to talk to her," Khan said calmly, not shifting his gaze from her. She bristled at the fact that he'd sided with her over such a trivial thing. She shot Spock and Kirk a frantic look, not wanting to be left alone in there with _him_. But Kirk acquiesced and he and Spock headed for the door.

"Five minutes," Kirk called over his shoulder.

She felt the hope drain from her as they disappeared behind the sliding panels.

"You were brought on board the Enterprise against your will, Madelyn?"

Though he phrased it as a question, she couldn't help but feel that he was taunting her. She looked at him unresponsively.

"Have they harmed you in any way?"

"No." It was a simple enough answer for a simple question.

His eyes lingered over the bruises on her neck. "You were foolish to come looking for me."

She swallowed, the pain already lessened to a mere discomfort. She'd always been a quick healer. "It wasn't my choice."

Multiple emotions passed across his face, but he maintained his cool.

"They told me what you did," she blurted. "Don't think I don't know who you really are."

His eyes narrowed and she fought the urge to take a step back.

"They told you I murdered innocent men and women," he said.

"You bombed London. You attacked Starfleet Headquarters. Of course you murdered innocents. But that doesn't even begin to list the atrocities you committed during the Eugenics Wars." She could scarcely believe what was coming out of her mouth, and she didn't regret a single word. Her tone was tipped with venom. "I trusted you, about my grandfather, about Owen. I let you into my home. I found something I thought could exist between us, but you've destroyed it."

She tensed as he pressed a hand to the glass, as though he could reach through it and grab her.

"There are secrets your grandfather died for," he said, his voice dropping so that she was forced to come closer to hear him. Their hot breaths formed condensation on the glass between them. "Secrets I uncovered shortly after I found you."

She felt her brow furrowing. "What secrets?" She clenched her jaw, realizing he was reeling her in.

His icy gaze burned hot. "Three hundred years ago, a young Augment escaped the onslaught brought upon my people. We may have been defeated, but a piece of us lived on through him."

Madelyn found herself shaking her head. "What are you talking about?"

"Your grandfather, your mother, you."

He paused, but the closeness of his gaze didn't shake her. She stared right back.

"The young male Augment who escaped almost three hundred years ago was your great-great-great-great grandfather," he replied agonizingly slowly.

She blinked as she considered the idea. "How do you even know that?"

"I had unlimited resources available to me while I worked under the watchful eye of Admiral Marcus. I already knew about the disappearance of the male Augment during the war; he was one of my men. So when I had the chance, I delved deeply into historical records, examining genealogical histories and familial birth and death records. When I discovered your grandfather was living in London, I knew I had no choice but to seek him out."

Madelyn swallowed at the information Khan presented. "He was murdered the night after we met," she stated. "You knew who killed him, didn't you?"

Khan's firmness wavered and she caught the break in his composure just as he restored it again. "I had a tail and I'd allowed him to see too much. He took advantage of the evening you spent alone with me, and murdered your grandfather. So I found him and I ended him."

She thought back to that night. _The man in the bar. The body found in the ditch._ She resisted the urge to cover her mouth with her hand.

"Your mother's situation was unfortunate, but not uncommon among my people. The very fact that you survived the birthing process is a testament to both you and your mother's partially augmented genes, though they were muddied as they passed down through your family's generations. Female augments had always had problems carrying successfully to term and surviving. It was one of the main reasons we needed to continue our work in genetic manipulation. But now no scientists will ever understand why this was such a prevalent problem since your governments have banned the practice."

Madelyn seethed. _Her mother? How dare he bring her into this!_ She let her anger show plainly on her face. But Khan wasn't finished.

"You mentioned Commander Owen Gallagher. I knew I could not trust him from the start. He worked closely with Admiral Marcus in Section Thirty-One, but we never crossed paths. He had been assigned a secretive mission that involved assassinations of certain individuals, but I was never able to pin down exactly why Admiral Marcus needed to dispose of these individuals. I have my theories, but the list was long and diverse. You can imagine it included many of your family members, most of whom had been crossed off the list many years ago."

She pressed herself as close to the glass as she dared, not caring that Khan enjoyed seeing her at such close proximity. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before? Owen was my friend, and he may have betrayed my trust, but to have you keep this information about him from me? I've already been knocked out twice just so Starfleet could drag me on this ship. Nobody's telling me the truth about anything and nobody's asking me how I feel about all of this! And now you're telling me you knew more than I ever knew about my own family—"

She clenched her jaw shut, halting the incessant flow of words that spilled out of her mouth. She couldn't let Khan see her this way. She couldn't let him know that he still had a hand wrapped around a piece of her. But it was already too late. She watched horrified as he lowered his chin, gazing at her with a slight smile.

"You are like me. Don't you see?" There was fervor in his voice and it made her shiver. "Why do you think I accepted your company? Why do you think I allowed myself to become a part of you? We are the same, Madelyn!" he declared softly.

"No, we are _not_ the same. I'm not like you."

"It is a part of you that you cannot deny."

She felt her fingernails digging into her palms. "It doesn't have to define who I am," she said, her voice shaking.

"One day that may not be an option."

"You used me," she said quickly, changing the subject, hoping to catch him off guard. It didn't work.

"I was trying to protect you."

"You lied about who you were, you kept important information from me, information about my family, and then," she paused, steadying her voice, "once Owen was out of the picture, you seduced me." There, she'd said it.

His muscles tightened beneath his shirt, the sinews in his neck twitching, his hands closing into clenched fists. He stared her down with frigid eyes as his voice dropped to a chilling baritone.

"You have no idea what it feels like to be used."

If there hadn't been a thick glass barrier between them, Madelyn thought for sure he would have killed her right there. She held his cold gaze for a moment, then driven to the edge, she had to look away. She flinched as the sliding doors behind her opened and Captain Kirk entered the room.

"You're done here. Let's go."

No longer escorted by security officers, she gladly turned away from Khan and followed Kirk out of the room. She didn't even bother glancing back at him. She wanted nothing more to do with him.

* * *

On their way back to Madelyn's cabin, Kirk told Madelyn he'd had her conversation with Khan recorded.

"It's for official records. We have to give the tribunal an idea of what was going through his head."

"You're kidding me. It's a personal matter, Captain, that I don't want to hear about anymore!"

Kirk raised his hands defensively. "Sorry. It's protocol."

Madelyn didn't know what to say anymore. Just then, Kirk was hailed over the Enterprise's coms. The bridge was closer than her cabin, so Kirk invited her to join him on the bridge. She followed him without a word. When they stepped through the door into the busy room, Uhura was the first to turn from her work at a control panel. "Captain, we're being approached by an unmarked Federation starship. They're hailing us."

"Sir, we're being scanned," said another officer.

"It's Marcus," Kirk replied. "I want Khan transferred to the med bay right now. And Uhura, record this and have it broadcast ship wide."

"Yes sir."

An image flickered onto the massive screen, Admiral Alexander Marcus, captain of the USS Vengeance, an older man with a firm jaw and closely cropped hair.

Kirk sent a cool smile towards the screen. "Admiral Marcus, sir, we weren't expecting you."

Madelyn could tell Kirk was lieing already. Obviously Kirk had believed every word Khan had said. The Admiral attempted to convince Kirk to give the prisoner up to him, but Kirk revealed he knew Harrison's true identity.

_"Well shit, you talked to him."_

"It seemed like the most logical option, sir."

The Admiral nodded, clearly not impressed with Kirk's actions. Then he leaned forward in his chair. _"Who is that behind you? Is that Madelyn McGivers?"_

Madelyn straightened. If Khan could be trusted, then Admiral Marcus couldn't be. In fact, she was starting to loathe him already, especially if he'd been the one to give the order for her and her grandfather's murder.

_"I knew your grandfather, Ms. McGivers. My condolences for your loss."_

She had to bite her tongue to keep from responding with something she'd regret. "Thank you," she managed.

_"Say, Kirk, I'm sure you have plenty to deal with over there, with Khan and all. Why don't you send Ms. McGivers over to the Vengeance? There's a hell of a lot more space and she'll be more comfortable."_

Kirk shifted his weight, catching Madelyn's desperate glance. "Please, no," she mouthed. Kirk turned back to the screen.

"Madelyn is doing just fine on the Enterprise, sir, though she appreciates your offer."

Admiral Marcus leaned towards them onscreen. _"I'm afraid I'm not making you an offer. Send me Madelyn McGivers now. That's an order, Captain.."_

She felt her heart drop into her stomach. Kirk had no choice now.

"Just give us a minute, Admiral."

Kirk cut the feed himself.

"You can't send me over there. I don't trust him for one second," Madelyn pleaded. "You can't make me go!"

Kirk put a hand on her shoulder. "You're not going anywhere. Chekov, how is the warp core coming?"

_"Vee are fully fungtional and vaiting for your orders, Keptin."_

Kirk turned a determined glance towards the front of the bridge. The Vengeance waited outside like a hulking vulture.

"Punch it."

The ship leaped into warp. Madelyn gripped the side of the closest control panel, still unused to the feel of jumping into lightspeed. After a moment her stomach settled, and she glanced at Kirk.

"Thank you."

Before he could answer, a blonde woman dressed in blue burst onto the bridge. She was out of breath. "That ship will be able to engage us as soon as it catches up with us. We're not safe at warp."

Kirk seemed to take the woman's word as law. "Prepare for evasive maneuvers!"

The order couldn't have come a moment too soon. The Vengeance appeared right on top of them, and immediately fired. The Enterprise rocked and shuddered. Sparks flew and crew members stumbled to the floor. Madelyn grappled at something, anything to hold onto to keep her on her feet. The ship dropped out of warp, and suddenly the blonde woman was hailing the Vengeance.

When Admiral Marcus appeared on screen again, he immediately recognized her and the shooting stopped. Madelyn caught her breath, watching anxiously as the woman, Carol Marcus, attempted to appease her father and get him to stop attacking them.

Suddenly, she felt her arms and legs begin to tingle. She held up her hand to see it encircled by beams of white light. The light expanded around her torso, and before she could scream for Kirk or Spock or anyone, she lost a couple of seconds. Then she realized she was no longer on the bridge of the Enterprise, but was now standing beside Carol Marcus on the bridge of the USS Vengeance.


	13. Chapter 13

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter contains (somewhat bloody) violence with sexual overtones in places. Please don't read if you're sensitive to this subject matter or are triggered easily.**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Admiral Alexander Marcus gave his daughter a stormy look and two armed officers halted Carol's attempt to rush at him. She looked furious but refused to speak when Marcus spoke to her, so he turned his attention towards Madelyn.

"I've been given the impression that you and Khan share an interesting relationship."

Madelyn glared at him. "You have no right to keep me here. I know what you did to my family, what you ordered Owen Gallagher to do to me."

He nodded. "And I can still follow through on that order myself. But my scientists want to take a look at you first, so I'm going to give them that. Dr. Marcus, please escort Ms. McGivers to the med bay so Dr. Dahl can run his tests, or whatever it is that he wanted to do."

Carol glanced at Madelyn with her lips pressed together in a thin line. But she nodded to her father in a way that one would only to a superior officer, then extended a hand towards the door of the bridge and nodded to Madelyn. "This way, please."

Flanked by four security officers now, Madelyn had no choice but to follow the Admiral's daughter. She was led down a series of twisting hallways and down one level in the lift, then through another series of corridors and several doors. If she had a chance to escape it wouldn't matter, because this ship was so large she'd be lost as soon as she turned a corner. The Vengeance dwarfed the Enterprise.

She was led into the med bay and then her security escort turned and left, disappearing behind a sliding door, leaving her alone with Carol Marcus. There were empty beds lined up against one wall, but no patients or doctors in sight. Madelyn whirled to face Carol.

"You have to help me. Your father tried to have—"

"I know," Carol replied smoothly. "Commander Gallagher told me everything."

Madelyn knew her mouth was open. "What? How?"

"A man will tell you lots of things when he's drunk that he wouldn't dream of telling you when he's sober. Believe me, you don't want to know what he thinks of you."

"What do you think of me?" Madelyn asked, hoping that turning the tables on her would help her situation.

"I think that your situation is interesting and at least warrants taking a few samples," Carol said slowly.

"But I'm not an Augment. At least, not a hundred percent."

Carol nodded. "You're right, but some of your genes could be enhanced due to your lineage, which is why our ship's doctor wants to run a few tests, take a few tissue samples, and it will be over. I promise he won't hurt you in any way."

Madelyn felt herself relaxing a little, her pulse slipping back to normal levels. How much damage could a syringe or two really do? At this point, Madelyn decided, it would be easier to just let them do their job.

"Alright. You can run the tests."

Carol seemed relieved herself and guided Madelyn to a room where she could change out of her own clothing and into a white shirt and pants. Then Carol showed her to one of the beds. "Make yourself comfortable and I'll bring Dr. Dahl in when you're ready."

Madelyn climbed into the bed and sat on the edge, feeling stiff in the cushioned seat. "Will you be here while he does his work?" she asked, staring at the ceiling.

Carol turned from the doorway but was unable to meet her gaze, and quickly hurried off.

* * *

She returned a few minutes later with a man dressed in a plain gray uniform. He had blond hair slicked back over an attractive face, and a smooth smile.

"This is Dr. Hans Dahl," said Carol. "He'll be running your tests."

Madelyn glanced from Carol to the doctor and back. Carol's expression was worried.

"What is it?" Madelyn pressed.

"Doctor Marcus, would you care to leave the room now?" said Dr. Dahl, his accent placing his upbringing somewhere in Scandinavia. "I believe your orders were to return to the bridge."

Madelyn's heart sank into her stomach. She realized why Carol looked the way she did, but the young female scientist didn't protest and hurried out without a word.

Dr. Dahl smiled as he approached her bedside, his hands sliding underneath the bed. "It is wonderful to meet you, Ms. McGivers. I have heard so much about you but I never thought I'd actually get to work with you. Please, lay back and make yourself comfortable." His hands came up from under the bed bearing thick straps. "I will need to restrain you in order to promote an environment of serenity and safety. Don't worry, this is purely Vengeance protocol." His hands worked quickly, strapping her arms and legs to the bed before she could protest. "You may wish to rest during this first round of testing as it will become tedious."

Madelyn swallowed as she felt her body shackled to the medical bed. She'd never been afraid of needles, but the one Dr. Dahl was preparing on a nearby table was rather large. He sterilized the skin on the inside of her elbow, then stuck the needle into the vein. It didn't hurt as badly as she thought it would. After it was filled with her blood, he withdrew it and carefully set it inside a sterile compartment. Five or six syringes later (she'd lost count), Dr. Dahl proclaimed that the first round of tests was complete. He smiled at her and disappeared into a room around the corner with his samples in hand. Madelyn sighed, relieved that they hadn't been all that bad. A day would be all it took for those pricks in her skin to close up.

Her good spirits were smashed to the floor as Dr. Dahl returned to the room, pulling on a set of medical examination gloves. He undid the restraints around her arms and legs and asked her to stand up out of bed, sliding a hand over her shoulder and down her arm as she did. His hand went to his chin as his eye flitted over her body and suddenly she felt sick.

"Please take off your shirt and pants," he said.

She had to take a second glance at his face to make sure he wasn't joking. "What?"

"I need you to take off your shirt and pants in order for me to continue this examination." He motioned to a syringe filled with an unidentifiable milky substance lying on a nearby table. "If you do not comply I will be forced to paralyze you and remove your clothing myself, and I am sure you don't want that."

Madelyn felt her blood pressure trickle higher, but she knew she didn't want him to remove her clothing for her. She sent Carol a huge thank you mentally for reassuring her she could keep her bra and panties on. With a clenched jaw, she lifted her shirt over her head and slipped her pants down her legs, stepping out of them carefully. Dr. Dahl took her clothing from her and placed it on an adjacent bed. He smiled again, his eyes drifting over her chest. Madelyn wanted to punch him.

"Please get back into bed so I can strap you in. Again, this is for your own personal safety."

Her arms and legs restrained once more, Madelyn stared up at the ceiling, willing Dr. Dahl to take his eyes off of her body and put it onto his work. For a moment, she thought her mental coaxing had worked. He slid a small machine beside the bed and flipped it on, revealing a thin laser light.

"This will make a microscopic slice down into the second layer of your epidermis in order for me to observe how quickly your cells regenerate. You will hardly feel a thing. Merely a pinch."

He positioned the machine over her abdomen and the laser penetrated her skin. He was right; it was merely a pinch. Once again, Madelyn breathed a gentle sigh of relief. She didn't know what she'd been expecting from this doctor. At least Admiral Marcus wasn't there to oversee this process. She imagined he would have wanted these procedures to be as painful as possible.

Dr. Dahl made some adjustments to his machine and positioned it slightly lower, beside her hipbone and just above her underwear. Madelyn averted her eyes as he flipped it on. She caught the doctor make an abrupt movement and a gasp escaped her throat. A searing pain ripped through her abdomen. She glanced down to see a thin, red, diagonal line across her stomach from her right hipbone to her left rib. She caught her breath, glancing up furiously at Dr. Dahl as he removed his machine and put it away.

"You said it wouldn't hurt!"

"And are you still in pain?" he asked coolly.

She swallowed and reassessed herself. No, the line across her stomach had already faded, and she felt nothing unusual other than the cold, sterile air of the med bay on her bare skin. Dr. Dahl bent over her, examining the fading mark closely.

"Fascinating. Your cells have already closed the wound." His eyes skated across her chest to her face. "Were you aware your body could work such wonders on itself?"

She gave him a cool look and didn't respond. He studied her for a moment, then put his hands around her rib cage just underneath her bra. She tensed under his cold gloves.

"What are you doing?" she protested, straining against the straps around her arms.

His fingers pressed into her skin as he dragged his hands down the sides of her abdomen. He ran them along the thin line that had all but disappeared on her stomach, then he paused. His cold gloves made goose bumps rise on her naked skin.

"You're making me uncomfortable," she said, her voice wavering.

"One moment more, Ms. McGivers. I'm almost finished."

He ran his hands down further, over her hips and down her thighs, his fingers kneading into her skin. She swallowed and wriggled against her restraints. Her left arm was starting to feel a little looser.

Dr. Dahl paused, his eyes narrowing as he studied the inside of her thigh, his face far too close to her body. She could feel his warm breath on her skin. She thought she was going to throw up. He slipped one hand into his pocket, his other pressing suddenly into the soft skin on the inside of her thigh. A scalpel came out of his pocket. Madelyn felt a scream crawl up her throat.

Dr. Dahl placed the bloody scalpel on the nearby table and bent down to study his work. Madelyn whimpered as warm blood trickled down her leg and onto the bed. She clenched her jaw at the way he touched her, his fingers sending pain radiating through her left leg. The cut was clean and long and just deep enough to avoid tendon.

The doctor's fingers grazed her underwear, and Madelyn shuddered in her restraints. He didn't bother to apologize. Instead, his palm rested over her pubic bone while he spoke into his recorder, detailing his findings about the gash he'd just inflicted on her inner thigh. She struggled against him, against her restraints, but only succeeded in pushing her hips against his hand, which he held there purposefully. She clenched her jaw at the feeling he'd caused. Her stomach churned. But she could move her left arm back and forth in its restraints now. She hoped he didn't notice.

Dr. Dahl finished his dictation and slowly removed his hand, his eyes flitting over her every chance he got. After a moment he looked down at her thigh again. The gash was closing, but blood had dried on her skin. He gazed with genuine interest at his work, then straightened and smiled at her once more.

"We're almost done here, Ms. McGivers. Thank you for your pleasant cooperation."

She glared at him without a word, but he ignored her and turned his back.

"I had honestly hoped I would not have to bring your tests to this point. You have shown a fascinating capacity for healing, though not as strongly as Khan Noonien Singh did. Yet your cells still retain the same instant ability to heal. It is as if the genes which govern your body's ability to heal were never diluted with the rest as the Augment blood traveled through your family's generations."

Dr. Dahl turned to face her, holding the syringe containing the milky liquid in his hand. Madelyn pulled against the straps around her limbs.

"Please hold still, Ms. McGivers. If this needle misses your vein, you will experience a large amount of extreme pain and I won't be able to keep you from going into shock."

At this point, she hardly believed him, but she held her arm still. He slipped the syringe under her skin and administered the substance.

"In a moment, you will be unable to move without assistance. Please don't panic."

Madelyn pulled at the restraints around her left arm furiously. She could almost hear the stitches in the material snapping. Dr. Dahl took notice and reached for her arm. In a moment of intense anger, she tore her arm out of the straps and flung it at his face. He caught it in his fist, his cool smile tightening. She tried to wriggle out of his grip. She couldn't move it. She couldn't make a fist. She couldn't move her fingers.

A moment of panic seized her. She glanced down at her toes. They were there. She could feel everything but she couldn't move. She tried to move her head to look at the ceiling. She couldn't. Dr. Dahl let her arm fall to the bed, limp. She opened her mouth to protest. Her lips couldn't form the proper syllables. A terrified moan escaped her throat.

Her eyes darted around frantically. Dr. Dahl was positioning a cold, metal brace around her left arm. She was so confused. Her arm wasn't broken. She would have felt it.

"How convenient that you loosened your restraints for me," he commented. He snapped the brace into place, centered on her elbow, then picked up a small keypad and pressed some buttons. The brace whirred to life, bending her elbow until her arm was laying straight. Her heart thudded loudly in her ears. Panicked noises escaped her paralyzed mouth. He was going to break her arm.

Tears pooled in her eyes as the brace whirred, slowly building tension in her elbow. The tension grew until it shifted to an intense pain. There was a crack.

Madelyn heard someone screaming in the distance, but she didn't know who. Her left arm vaguely hurt. It didn't matter though. She was safe now, floating away in a calm, warm darkness.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

Madelyn woke to Carol Marcus gently shaking her shoulders. Her first inclination came with a rush of anger. She flung herself at the woman, attempting to hit her across the face or grab her neck. A searing pain ripped through her left arm and she cried out, collapsing breathless back into the bed. Carol pushed her blonde hair from her face with a huff.

"That was stupid, Madelyn. Dr. Dahl broke your arm and you want to attack me with it." She wrapped her arm around Madelyn's shoulders and pulled her shaking body into a sitting position. "My father wants to see you on the bridge. Can you walk?"

She was no longer in restraints, and Dr. Dahl was nowhere to be seen. Her broken arm had been wrapped and placed in a temporary sling. Madelyn stifled her shaky breaths and slowly swung her bare legs to the floor. A bubble of raw fury hovered just below her determination to get out of bed and face Carol. The last thing she wanted was to see Admiral Marcus. She stood warily, leaning on the bed frame for support. The floor was smooth and cold under her bare feet. Carol held out her sterile white med bay clothing. Madelyn gave her a look. "I want _my_ clothes."

Carol lifted her chin, then hurried to retrieve the clothing Madelyn was accustomed to. She came back a moment later and started to hand the pile of neatly folded garments to Madelyn, then stopped as her blue eyes settled on her broken arm. She quickly helped Madelyn dress, returning her to her familiar shirt and pants and worn-in boots. Madelyn's brown hair was falling out of its loose braid but it would have to stay that way.

Madelyn followed Carol to the bridge of the Vengeance, watching the scientist's blonde bob sway back and forth as she walked. Her face grew hot with anger. Carol could have disobeyed her orders and stayed with her in the med bay. She could have stopped Dr. Dahl. Instead, Carol had left her at his mercy. She wanted to yank that blonde hair out of Carol's head and twist her neck until it snapped. She wanted to break Carol's bones the way Dr. Dahl had broken hers.

They stepped into the lift, joining a few other crewmembers in silence. Madelyn suddenly realized how disturbing her thoughts were. Their clarity shocked her. She quickly reminded herself that it wasn't Carol who'd transported her to the Vengeance against her will. It wasn't Carol who'd ordered the tests be run on her in the first place. It was Admiral Marcus. Admiral Marcus was responsible for everything that had happened to her so far. It was the Admiral who deserved to be hurt. And Dr. Dahl, the disgusting bastard. She shivered as she recalled the way he'd touched her. He was someone she wouldn't mind hurting, maybe breaking a few of his fingers, or all of them.

She couldn't believe what was going through her mind. She realized she didn't want anyone else to be hurt as they stepped from the lift and continued through the ship's corridors. She wasn't even sure she knew how to snap a neck or break fingers. She didn't want to know how. Enough people had died as a result of both Khan and Admiral Marcus. She pushed her violent fantasies out of her mind. She wanted no part in any bloodshed. But she wanted Dr. Dahl to receive justice. Whatever that would entail, she'd leave to someone who could do the job right.

The Admiral seemed not to notice her broken arm when Madelyn returned to the bridge behind Carol.

"I hope Hans wasn't too rough with you," he chuckled.

"You son of a bitch—"

"Admiral, there's been an unauthorized airlock activation in the main hangar."

Marcus turned to the closest monitor to take a look. "Fuck! It's Khan. Send twenty security personal to detain him." He turned back to Madelyn. "It looks like you're about to have a little family reunion."

Madelyn let a slight smile creep onto her face, hoping to gain an edge over the Admiral. "He's not going to let you take him again." Still, a sliver of fear prodded its way into her stomach. She was as defenseless against Marcus as the Vengeance and its crew was against Khan.

Marcus stood from his seat and paced across the room towards her. Madelyn didn't flinch. She'd been stared down so many times by Khan that dealing with the Admiral's glare was like staring down a temperamental teenager.

"I don't intend to take him, Ms. McGivers. I intend to kill him. I hope that doesn't come as too much of a disappointment."

She looked up at him as seriously as she could manage. He was trying to act so dramatic towards her, it was almost amusing. "Are you going to kill me too?"

The Admiral glanced at his daughter, who was standing beside her. "Not until Dr. Dahl says he doesn't need you anymore. I'm sure his results will be pretty useful for military purposes."

"That's what you wanted me for? To use my body for war?"

"Well, why the hell else do you think the Augments were originally created? They were weapons, and Khan here," he nodded to a monitor nearby, showing Khan, Kirk, and another man running through the ship's corridors, "Khan is the perfect weapon. Well, he was, until he betrayed me and went rogue. But there's a war coming, and somebody is gonna have to lead us. Khan gave me the tools I needed, and now I don't need him anymore."

Madelyn furrowed her brow at how often Marcus mentioned Khan, as if he was trying to make her react and give him an excuse to kill her right there. "You think I still care about him?" She scoffed. "The man I cared about was John Harrison, and apparently John Harrison doesn't exist. I could care less what you do to Khan."

Carol stepped forward suddenly, cutting her father's response short. "What you did to Kirk, the Enterprise, how can you live with yourself, knowing you tried to start a war?"

The Admiral met his daughter's gaze, his face going soft. "It was inevitable, Carol," he said firmly.

She slapped him across the face. Two security officers moved to restrain her. "I am ashamed to be your daughter!"

Madelyn felt a surge of satisfaction race through her at the look on Admiral Marcus' face. She watched him return to the captain's chair, feeling his cheek with one hand. She wanted to walk over and give him her own slap, or maybe a punch, placed just so his jaw would break. Her right hand itched to slam into his bones. She stretched her fingers and clenched them into a fist. All she needed to do was take a couple steps forward.

The door to the bridge slid open and Kirk, Khan, and another man charged in, sending phaser blasts at every crew member. Madelyn ducked behind a console and watched as the entire bridge crew dropped to the floor in seconds, leaving only herself, Carol, and the Admiral.

When the shooting was over, she slowly returned to her feet. She could feel Khan watching her out of the corner of her eye. Kirk was holding Admiral Marcus at gunpoint. Carol stood nearby, exchanging a shocked look with her. Madelyn threw a confused look to Kirk. _Why was he working with Khan?_ He acknowledged her and gave a subtle nod to the man with ginger hair. The man came up behind Khan, aimed his phaser, and Khan collapsed to the floor. Madelyn could finally let out her breath. It was over.

* * *

"That's right, and stay down, ya bastard!" The man with the ginger hair and Scottish accent put a foot on an unconscious Khan's back.

"Thank you, Scotty," said Kirk, glancing down at Khan for a moment just to make sure he was down. Then he leaped up to the captain's chair and pushed his phaser into the Alexander Marcus' face.

"Admiral Marcus, you're under arrest."

Marcus' eyes seemed to be laughing at Kirk. "You're not actually gonna do this, are you?"

Kirk ignored him. "Admiral, get out of the chair," he ordered.

The Admiral leaned on one arm of his chair as he stared up at Kirk. "You better stop and think about what you're doing, Kirk. You better think about what you did on Kronos. You made an incursion onto an enemy planet, you killed a Klingon patrol. Even if you got away without a trace, war is coming! And who's gonna lead us? You?!" Marcus raised his voice so that he was roaring. "If I'm not in charge, our entire way of life is decimated!"

Madelyn swallowed as she witnessed this new side of the Admiral.

"You want me off this ship?" said Marcus. "You'll have to kill me first."

Kirk shook his head, remaining firmly planted in front of the Admiral. "I'm not gonna kill you, sir. But I could stun your ass and drag you out of that chair. I'd rather not have to do that in front of your daughter."

Scotty yelped. Madelyn's eyes jumped to the Scotsman as he collapsed to the floor, at Khan's feet. Everything that happened next seemed to be in slow motion.

Khan leaped towards the captain's chair and knocked Kirk aside, slamming his body into the floor. The captain of the Enterprise tumbled down the stairs towards Madelyn, rolling onto the floor in pain. She rushed to help him, but Khan made a threatening step towards her, his blue eyes practically glowing with frenzy. She froze.

He pulled Alexander Marcus from the chair and threw him against the wall. Carol attempted to go to him but Khan grabbed her and pushed her out of his way. She scrambled across the floor, and Madelyn felt a brief respite that that was all Khan would do to her. Then without hesitation, Khan brought his foot down on Carol's leg. There was an audible crack and the Admiral's daughter cried out in agony. Madelyn took back everything she'd thought about hurting Carol Marcus.

Khan moved quickly to the Admiral, punching him in the stomach, then dragging the man's incapacitated body onto a console. He took the Admiral's head between his hands and pressed his furious face in close.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME SLEEP!"

Admiral Alexander Marcus' skull cracked from the pressure Khan exerted. Carol screamed.

Madelyn tore her wide eyes from the blood and gray matter between Khan's hands and darted across the bridge, her good hand shaking as she opened the only door out of the room. She ran down the corridor. She ran until she came to the end of it and then she turned the corner and ran down another corridor, and then another. Her eyes searched the walls frantically, hoping for a sign that there was a way off the ship. She had to find a way off this fucking ship.

She stopped as she came to a four-way intersection of hallways. Her left arm ached in its temporary brace. She could still run, but to where? She was lost on this enormous ship. There were no signs, nothing that indicated the ship's hangar was anywhere nearby. Even if she found the hangar, there was a chance there were no other ships on board, and even if there were, she didn't know the first thing about flying one. But she would send herself out of an airlock before letting Khan put his hands on her.

"Stop."

He was behind her. How had he found her so quickly? She wondered what he would do if she didn't, if she sprinted off. The image of Admiral Marcus' crushed skull flitted through her mind and her stomach churned.

She turned slowly, her eyes falling to his hands hanging at his sides. He'd wiped them clean. She looked up at his face. He stood like a wired explosive, tense and waiting to go off at any moment, but his hair hanging over his eyes made him look like a wild animal. There was still some distance between them. She wanted to run. Her right foot slid backwards, preparing to take the next step.

She barely made it three feet. Khan seized her and slammed her against the wall, his hand sliding around her neck. He was poised to crush her windpipe. She shut her eyes and waited for it. She recalled the incident on Kronos as his thumb pressed into her jugular._ He saved me from this once._

Her eyes flew open as he pressed himself against her, holding her firmly to the wall. With his hand still wrapped around her neck, his lips drifted over her forehead, her eyes, her lips, her cheek, his breath like fire on her skin. She blinked away the tears that accumulated in her eyes with the expectance that he would kill her right there.

"There's nowhere you can go," he uttered into her ear.

"You murdered John Harrison," she replied, her voice shaking.

He pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth. "John Harrison never existed."

She shivered as his fingers slid from her neck, grazing over her exposed clavicle and hovering over her broken arm. She'd just watched those same hands crush another human being's skull. He showed no signs of doing her harm now, but inside, Madelyn was screaming.

Somewhere in the distance there was a huge explosion. The sudden force shook the ship, throwing them both to the floor. She cried out as her broken arm took the brunt of her fall but his strong hand pulled her up. She whirled to see him charging down the corridor, leaving her there alone.

The ship shook violently. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she scrambled against the wall to brace herself. Her good hand felt her neck. She would have bruises there again.

The floor tilted, as though the ship was falling out of control. Madelyn could hear the vessel's massive metal frame creaking. The ship's sudden movement threw her across the smooth floor. She grabbed frantically for something to hold onto and succeeded in catching a protrusion of steel out of the wall, shaken loose by the force of the explosions. She wedged her feet into a crevice and adjusted her fingers around the bar, knowing if her single hand let go, she would be tossed around the corridor like a ragdoll.

The ship must have been crashing. It shook so violently, she shut her eyes. She felt the vibrations through her hand and her feet; it was as though the ship was breaking apart. The noise and the shaking seemed to last for hours. Then suddenly there was a great cacophony of metal scraping against metal.

Madelyn was thrown from her position wedged between the floor and the wall. Her hand slipped and she tumbled down the corridor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of metal ripping through the wall. She scraped at the floor with her fingers, trying to stop herself.

As the ship ground to a halt, she flew backwards off the floor and crashed into the wall. The air was forced from her lungs and fireworks danced in her vision. Something in her back throbbed like she'd been stuck with a knife. She could hear metal creaking in the distance. After a moment of coughing and gagging painfully, she could see and hear and breathe more easily. She swallowed, the metallic taste of blood on her tongue. As he tried to free her broken arm with her good arm, her hand brushed her shirt. It was wet and warm. She glanced down to see a sharp tip of metal protruding from her skin just below her ribcage, and a red stain soaking through her clothing.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's Note: I'm so sorry it took me this long to get this chapter up! I've been distracted by my own original fiction (and I may or may not have just gotten The Sims 3 for the first time), but now I'm back! Thanks for hanging in there with me! (This is my longest chapter yet!)**_

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

* * *

Her shirt was quickly soaked in blood. Madelyn tried to push herself off the metal shard that was stuck in her side, but only having one good hand to use made it difficult. She rasped at the pain she caused herself and slowly relaxed. If she was going to die here, she wasn't going to make herself die in pain.

She carefully leaned her head back against the wall. The explosions must have crippled the ship and caused it to crash. She figured there were hardly any survivors onboard but she wasn't about to start making noise to find them. If Khan had made it through in one piece, she didn't want him to find her.

Wind howled down the passageway, indicating that somewhere nearby there was an opening in the hull, and a way off the ship. Her fingers fell to the metal that skewered her. Even if she pulled it out, she would have an open wound in her abdomen, and then she would have to navigate the debris-filled passageway until she found the hole in the ship. She had no idea how much of a jump it would be from the ship to the ground, and the effort to get up might turn out to be worthless.

As she mustered the courage to rip her body away from the wreckage, footsteps on metal echoed down the corridor. She hesitated, wondering if she should find Khan his own piece of wreckage. Her eyes glanced sideways, spying another shard of steel wedged into the wall. She stretched as much as her body would allow, tears stinging her eyes at the pain. Her fingers brushed the metal and it shifted further away. Her feet pushed against the floor as she tried again. Her abdomen felt like it was on fire. She groaned out loud as her fingers shuddered, stretching towards the piece of debris.

Khan appeared around the corner and was on her as soon as he saw her. Madelyn let her arm drop to her side, giving up on finding a way to hurt him. It wasn't worth it anymore. She felt him kneel beside her but she didn't have the strength to look up. "If you're gonna kill me, just get it over with," she murmured.

His fingers slid around her jaw and lifted her head. "I'm not going to kill you." There was almost a hint of surprise in his voice.

What other response was he expecting to get from her? A soft chuckle rose up her throat. "Don't lie to me again."

His eyes were fixed firmly on her. "I'll never lie to you again," he said softly.

Madelyn let out a short breath. She wanted to hit him. She wanted to pummel him against the wall. She wanted to ask him who he was and what he'd done with Khan. But none of these things were possible. In an instant, she felt him wrap his arms around her and hold her close. Then he pulled her off of the wreckage.

It was like a hot knife had sliced right through her. She buried her scream into his shoulder, her right hand clutching at his shirt sleeve. She thought she was going to pass out from the pain. That would have been the best thing to happen to her all day. But her body refused to let go of the present moment. She sobbed, clutching at him, willing the pain to ease. She could feel herself shaking uncontrollably.

Without explanation, Khan gently ripped her shirt down the side and carefully slipped it off of her, leaving her in her black bra. Then he pulled off his own shirt. He wadded up her blood-soaked top and pressed it to the wound in her back, then wrapped his standard issue, black Starfleet top tightly around her, holding the makeshift compress in place.

"This should stop the bleeding for a while," he said softly. "You're stronger than you think you are, Madelyn."

She didn't respond. She leaned against him, clenching her eyes shut against the pain that throbbed through her.

"If we are to leave this ship, you need to get up."

"No," she mumbled. "Just leave me here."

"I'm not leaving you on this ship."

"I can hardly breathe without—"

Her words were sucked from her throat as she was pulled to her feet. Her back burned. Her heart throbbed in her ears. She gasped for air through the pain. "Don't make me do this, Khan."

He was already pulling her under his arm as he made his way down the corridor. "I have no choice," he replied.

She could hear the wind growing louder. "Of course you have a choice," Madelyn rasped. She scrambled over debris littering the corridor to avoid falling as he strode towards the hole in the ship, holding her tightly under his arm. "I saw what you did on the bridge. I saw you crush Admiral Marcus' head. Why treat me any different?" She could feel the wind blowing now. They were standing at the edge of the hull's gash. Hundreds of feet below them were the ruins of what looked like San Francisco.

"You're all I have left," said Khan. Then he pulled her tightly to his body and leaped out of the ship.

The jump had to have been at least three hundred feet. Madelyn shut her eyes as they fell through the air. Khan skidded down the side of the ship when they landed the first time, and grunted when they finally came to the ground. She wanted to step away from him, but it was all she could do to hold herself up against his bare chest. She wondered briefly how much blood she'd lost.

He didn't loosen his hold on her immediately. He walked quickly away from the scene, until they were in the midst of bystanders and gawkers and the air was no longer filled with dust. Then he let her settle gently onto a bench along the side of the paved walkway. The pain in her side subsided only briefly.

Khan called for someone's attention, and a few people in the crowd ran towards them. He snatched a discarded coat off the ground and slipped it on, then started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" she said weakly.

Khan returned to her side and gently cupped her face in his hand, brushing hair from her eyes. She wanted to reach out and grab his arm but she didn't have the strength.

"I'll come back for you."

Then he turned and ran away down the path, pushing through the crowd of people. She wondered why he was in such a hurry. A flash of light caught her gaze briefly. A figure in blue appeared amidst the gawking crowds and immediately set off running in the same direction. Madelyn thought of the Enterprise. What had happened while she had been held on the Vengeance? She wondered if the Enterprise had survived at all.

She felt someone taking her pulse and checking her eyes. She groaned in pain when her makeshift t-shirt bandage was checked. A jacket was draped around her bare shoulders. Someone close by was on their cell calling for a crew of ambulances. There was no doubt they were on their way. The extent of the damage from the crash was just now coming into focus. If she looked out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the Vengeance, a black smoking hulk, wedged into the center of San Francisco. To think that Khan had crashed it, probably on purpose, and while she was onboard. Yet they had both survived, and who knew how many people had been killed on the ground by the first impact alone, let alone by the buildings that crumbled as a result of it.

She felt a pang inside her, and this time it wasn't physical. She wondered if he would make good on his promise, but she wasn't sure she cared anymore. She didn't know who he was. All she knew was what he'd done, and it scared the living hell out of her.

* * *

"Help me! Help me, please." The small voice came from somewhere inside the hull of the crashed supership. A rescue heard the call as she was sifting through debris and rushed up a pile of debris.

"I hear you! Are you hurt?"

There was a pause. "No, but I'm stuck," the voice replied.

"Is there anyone else down there with you, sir?"

"No, it's just me."

"Alright, hold on! I'll get a team and we'll get you out!"

The rescue worker quickly pulled together a group of paramedics and strongmen and they made quick work of the pile of debris, being sure to avoid a cave-in. Soon they were able to throw down a rope for the trapped survivor and haul him out.

The man was covered in dust and minor bruising, but had no scratches or major injuries to speak of. The paramedics that attended him were impressed. "It's a miracle," one said. The survivor shrugged it off. After he'd been thoroughly looked after, he approached the original rescue worker who'd first heard him.

"Thank you for saving me. I don't know what I'd done if I was stuck down there forever."

"Just doing my duty," the worker replied.

"Your courage won't be forgotten, Ms…"

"Lieutenant Grey, sir."

"Lieutenant Grey. Thank you for your bravery in rescuing a fellow member of Starfleet. I was the Chief Medical Officer of this heap of metal." He motioned to the enormous hunk of crashed ship behind him, then stuck out a hand. "I'm Dr. Hans Dahl."

* * *

She must have passed out from the shock.

Madelyn lay in a medical bed, in a quiet white room lit brightly by a set of wide windows. She squinted and flinched as the sunlight hit her eyes, expecting her head to throb, but there was no pain.

She sat up slowly, her hand drifting over the place where she'd been pierced by the ship's shrapnel. Lifting her white medical shirt, she inspected herself. A light bandage covered the wound, but there was no evidence that she'd been injured to the point that she thought she'd die of blood loss.

"So, after all that, you finally decide to not be dead."

Madelyn looked up as Dr. Leonard McCoy appeared in the doorway. She couldn't help but smile a little as he walked over.

"I thought I was dead," she said.

He raised his vitals checker over her neck and chest. "What's the last thing you remember?"

She thought about it for a moment. "I was sitting on a bench in a park, close to the crash site. There were people everywhere. Someone was helping me, I think. Khan had just left me there after we crashed. He said he was going to come back." Her words shrank to a whisper as she realized he hadn't. She looked at Bones. "Where is Khan?"

The doctor stared at her. She could imagine what was going through his head, how she was insane, wanting to know the whereabouts of a mass murdering psychopath.

Bones dropped his gaze and continued his work. When he was done, he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You should thank your parents or grandparents or whoever gave you your Augmented blood. I don't know how else to explain it."

"What do you mean?"

"When they first brought you in, your windpipe was bent, your left arm was broken clean through, and you had a puncture wound through your back that should have shredded your vital organs. I stitched you up the best I could, but your body did the rest, and it did it damn fast. Any average human in your condition would have died within hours just from blood loss."

His descriptions of her bodily destruction alarmed her. She lifted her left arm and straightened it. It was completely healed. She let out a shaky breath of relief, because she didn't feel any pain anymore. "But I didn't."

Bones nodded and returned his instruments to his coat pocket. "I wouldn't try to put much pressure on that arm just yet, just to be sure."

Madelyn nodded. "How long was I out?"

"A whole week. I'm honestly surprised you didn't sleep longer. I've been feeding you with IVs just so you wouldn't waste away. You have a strong metabolism and a tiny body."

She chuckled. She knew why she'd needed the sleep, but now she wanted nothing more than to get out of bed. She pushed the thin hospital sheet away and swung her feet around to the side of her bed. Bones stopped her.

"I don't want you wandering around here until I'm sure you're a hundred percent."

"You never answered my question."

The doctor cleared his throat and scratched his forehead. "He's being detained. I wasn't supposed to tell you, so don't go getting me fired by wandering around looking for him."

She gazed up at him. "What makes you think I want to see him?"

Bones raised an eyebrow. "That was all you were saying when they brought you in here half-conscious. Where's Khan? Where's Khan? Where's the psychopath who destroyed half of San Francisco and almost killed Jim?"

"What?! What are you talking about? What happened to the Enterprise—"

"After the Admiral kidnapped you and his daughter? Let's just say Marcus had screwed with the Enterprise's systems, and Jim saved the day, but not until he almost died from radiation poisoning. We're all still waiting for him to wake up again. Khan's blood has even more fascinating traits than yours."

The idea of them using Khan's blood to save Kirk gave Madelyn an odd feeling. Whether Khan had given it willingly was highly doubtful, but when Kirk woke up…

"So Khan is saving him," she said quickly.

Bones raised his eyebrow again. "If you want to put it like that, even though it sounds insane."

"What are they going to do to him?"

"What Jim originally intended. He's going to stand trial for his crimes."

Madelyn nodded, then put a hand on Dr. McCoy's arm. "If there's any way for me to see him, or even sit in on the trial, please tell me now."

"You won't have to worry about that, Ms. McGivers. You've been asked to testify against Khan. You're one of the star witnesses."

Madelyn felt her fingers tighten on the side of the bed, and she was sure her face said it all.

"You and Carol Marcus were the only ones who saw Khan smash the Admiral's head in," Bones continued, "and then there's the complication of your prior relationship with him, before he became a fugitive terrorist for a day."

Before she could open her mouth to retort, he raised a reassuring hand.

"I'm not accusing you of anything, but the court is going to want to ask you a few questions. Someone in particular requested this, said you were the best one for the job, that you were the most in tune with how Khan's brain works. So you may as well prepare yourself."

She felt anger broiling in her stomach but there was no reason to take it out on the doctor. "How long until the trail?"

His eyes flitted to the door and back. "We'll have to wait until Jim wakes up."

Before Bones could leave the room, Madelyn asked one more question. "Who was it that requested I testify against Khan?"

Dr. McCoy hesitated a moment then pulled a tablet from his pocket. He flicked through the screen for a moment, then found what he wanted. "A Dr. Hans Dahl. He served on the Vengeance and apparently survived the crash. He said he had a special relationship with you, those are his own words, and he thought you'd appreciate the opportunity to send your oppressor back to his cryochamber."

Madelyn stood from the bed, ignoring the wave of dizziness that struck her. "That son of a bitch! Forcing me to testify against Khan? Who does he think he is? He probably thinks its funny that he's got me under his control again. He's the one who broke my arm! He was more of a psychopath than Khan will ever be!" She was practically in tears now. Bones took her gently and guided her back to her bed. "I won't let him do this to me! I can't let him do this to me! How'd he even survive?"

Bones helped her back into bed as she wiped her face and calmed herself. "I took a sample of his blood, and there was a slight similarity to yours, only in a few certain genes," Bones explained. "He may have taken a large sample from you when you were under his care."

"_Care_ is a loose term," she mumbled. She sniffed and leaned her head back into her pillow. "What am I supposed to do? So much has happened to me. I've probably lost my job by now and I imagine there are people going through my home for evidence as we speak, since I'm involved with the trial, and since it sounds like my relationship with Khan is now public knowledge—"

"Only in Starfleet, Madelyn."

She ignored him. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling about him. I thought it'd be easier if I didn't feel anything, if I just forgot about him. But it looks like that's not going to happen now."

Bones shook his head slowly. "There's nothing more I can do other than recommend you get lots of sleep tonight."

"Do you think there might be a way I could still see him? I want to talk to him."

"Now you _want_ to talk to him? Dammit, Madelyn, make up your mind!"

"I need to understand why he did what he did. Some things still don't add up."

"You mean why he manipulated you into sleeping with him?"

She glared at him. "No. He was different. Things were different." She tilted her chin up slightly. "Things have changed now."

Bones headed for the door but paused on the way out. "I guess whether they've changed for the better or worse is something you need to figure out."

Madelyn nodded. "I can only figure it out by talking to him, McCoy. You have to help me see him."

He didn't answer her and walked out the door.


	16. Chapter 16

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's another installment! Thanks so much to all of you who faithfully keep up with this story and leave reviews. I value your feedback immensely so don't be afraid to be critical!**_

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

* * *

The next morning, Madelyn woke with the sun. She appreciated the view from the private room she'd been given. She could see San Francisco harbor between a cluster of skyscrapers, with just a tiny visible slice of the destruction Khan had created. Already the cleanup effort was quickly underway.

A nurse brought in a plate of hot food and she scarfed it down. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten anything remotely that good. It still boggled her mind that it'd been only a few days since she'd been living contentedly in her grandfather's house. Meeting John Harrison had changed everything. Scratch that. Meeting _Khan_ had changed everything.

She'd slept soundly, but she hadn't dreamed. She was slightly afraid of what would happen the next time she wanted to sleep, what dreams would keep her from sleeping soundly. She recalled with absolute anger the fact that Dr. Dahl was alive. That he had the balls to dictate her next move in life was astounding and she wanted nothing more than to find him and hurt him.

She shoved her violent thoughts away as Dr. McCoy entered the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Oh good, you ate. The food here ain't bad."

She smiled. "Where is _here_ anyway?"

"Since Khan took out most of Starfleet's headquarters, we've had to relocate. This building used to house an entire corporation."

She nodded and pushed her empty tray table aside. "So how's Kirk?"

"Could be better, could be worse though. He's showing a little improvement, but he's technically still in a coma. Radiation poisoning is not something I'd wish on anyone, well except Kh—"

Madelyn's look made him stop.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Look, the reason I came this early, and frankly I'm surprised you're up, is that I may have found a way to get you in to see him, tomorrow probably. But today I just want to make sure you're doing alright."

She nodded slowly. _Tomorrow. _That was too soon. She felt a rise in panic but it ebbed when McCoy continued.

"Alright. For now I need you to slowly stand up and walk around the room. If you fall over, you're not going anywhere."

She smiled at his humor and did as he asked. She wasn't dizzy like she'd been yesterday. After a moment she turned to him, satisfied, and crossed her arms. "Bones. That's what Kirk calls you right? Can I call you that? Listen, I feel fine. I ate. I slept. I'm ready to move on with my life, even though I know that's not going to happen as soon as I'd like. What more do you need from me?"

McCoy smiled and made some notes on his tablet. "Nothing. But I don't want you leaving this floor of the building. You have no idea the shit storm that's growing around this case."

"You mean because of me and my relationship with Khan."

McCoy nodded.

"You think someone would try to hurt me?"

"I wouldn't put it past some people. You know how many people Khan's killed, on purpose or otherwise."

Madelyn nodded. She thought about Admiral Marcus and his deception. How many more people could have been killed if Marcus had gotten the war he wanted? For a brief moment, which lasted less than a second, Madelyn was grateful for that smashed-in skull.

* * *

That afternoon, Bones took her to see Kirk. Spock was there, sitting quietly, watching the captain's body breathe in and out through a ventilator as the setting sun drew orange rectangles on the wall. When Madelyn entered the room, Spock stood up and Bones disappeared to deal with other patients.

"Ms. McGivers." The Vulcan acknowledged her with a slight nod.

"Hello, Mr. Spock. The last time I saw you we were confronting Khan together, weren't we? That feels like ages ago."

"In actuality, it was merely last week."

She shook her head. "Too much has happened." If Spock was pleased to see her, she couldn't tell. She'd never spent enough time around Vulcans to figure them out. "I can't believe I slept for a week."

"Your injuries were quite serious. I imagine your body needed adequate time to recover from such severe trauma."

She nodded, her eye resting on Kirk again. He looked so peaceful. She wondered if she'd looked just as calm when she'd lain in her medical bed, unconscious for a week. "What happened to Kirk? What caused the Vengeance to crash? What _happened_, Spock?"

"After Khan murdered Admiral Marcus, it was apparent he would not back down from his threats of violence, so it seemed logical to form a deal with him. In exchange for returning Captain Kirk, Dr. Marcus, and Captain Scott to the Enterprise, Khan would receive his seventy-two torpedoes, which he believed still housed the cryotubes containing his lost crewmembers. However, I had previously ordered those same cryotubes removed from their torpedoes, as I suspected these would become our bargaining chips at some point." Spock pulled his hands behind his back. "Prior to beaming Khan's torpedoes aboard the USS Vengeance, I also ordered them armed. Quite soon after they arrived onboard Khan's ship, they detonated, effectively disabling the Vengeance and leading Khan to believe that he had lost his crew."

"That would explain what he said," she murmured.

Spock looked down at her. "What did Khan say to you?"

"He told me at one point that I was all he had left," she said quietly. She glanced up at Spock when she realized he'd raised an eyebrow. "He can be very . . . intense. It's an emotion thing. You probably wouldn't understand."

"I admit I do not completely understand human emotions. I'm not sure I will ever completely understand them. But there was a moment when I wanted nothing more than to completely obliterate Khan from the face of the planet."

Now Madelyn was the one raising her eyebrow.

"Captain Kirk sacrificed himself to save the Enterprise, and his crew. He went into the ship's warp core chamber, unshielded from the lethal dose of radiation he knew he would receive. He repaired the dislocated injector just in time to prevent the Enterprise from sharing a similar fate with the Vengeance. And in doing so, he sacrificed his life. At the time, I felt extreme anger with the only person left I believed could be held responsible.

"I pursued Khan through the streets of San Francisco, and we fought long enough for me to learn how to defeat him. I almost lost control. I was furious at the prospect of losing my good friend forever. I could have beaten Khan to death, and I almost did, but Lieutenant Uhura arrived just in time to convince me to let him live. She told me that we could use him to save Kirk.

"When I returned to the Enterprise with Khan's barely conscious form, it took everything I had to contain my emotions. After a few hours, I finally regained total control, but it was an experience I would rather not have again."

Madelyn was silent for a moment as she considered what Spock had just told her. "So the only reason Khan is still alive is because you needed him to keep Kirk alive."

"We needed his blood," Spock corrected. "It was the most logical course of action. Looking back, I wish I had realized that sooner."

She understood all of this, but the way she let it show made Spock's next comment seem obvious.

"I do not understand why someone like you would ever be with a man such as Khan Noonien Singh. I do not mean to judge, but his methods and his motives should call into question your own morals, Ms. McGivers."

She let a bitter smile creep onto her face. "When I first met him, I had no idea who he was. I thought he was just John Harrison, a member of Starfleet with an investigation to finish that happened to involve my family. He had me completely fooled, and in less than a week I was so comfortable around him that I couldn't say no to his advances. But when I saw him again on the Enterprise, he was a completely different person. He had this dark ease about himself, as if he'd been wearing a mask while he was with me in London. On the Enterprise, that mask came off and revealed a monster."

She turned to Spock suddenly, feeling a well begin to overflow.

"I just don't know what to feel anymore. Everything inside me is screaming to stay away from him forever, but at the same time I have this nagging feeling that there's more to him, that circumstance forced him to act the way he did. And now that I know I'll be seeing him in court, I almost want to feel for him, except I keep reminding myself how he used me and how I think he feels he owns me in a way, for several reasons. I feel so conflicted and to be honest I'm jealous of the way you can suppress your feelings, because I think I'd be having a much easier time if I could too."

"You should not be jealous of my emotional suppression, Ms. McGivers. When I choose to feel, it is more intense than when a human naturally feels. It is something that requires great self-control. I believe you should be grateful for your conflicting emotions, as they do not appear to be overtaking you. Your facial expression exhibits a remarkable strength that I do not believe to be disingenuous."

Madelyn stared at the Vulcan, turning his words over in her mind. "I guess I should take that as a compliment."

He nodded. "I believe a wise man once said that time heals what reason cannot. The solution to your problem concerning Khan will reveal itself with time."

"Thank you, Spock." She reached up and took him in a warm hug. It was the first time she'd hugged someone herself in what seemed like a long while. He didn't quite respond in kind, but that didn't matter. "What you said, that really means a lot to me. I won't forget it."

* * *

She slept lightly that night, waking several times to check the time, sometimes glancing out the window. When she climbed out of bed at six the following morning, she groaned. She knew why she'd been so restless. Today she was going to see Khan.

Bones had managed to procure a security pass for her through his high-up connections in Starfleet, dropping Kirk's name every now and then. "Don't breathe a word of this to anyone, or my ass is on the chopping block," he told her as they left the building.

She pulled her jacket tight against the cool morning breeze and shook her head. "I can't even bring myself to say it out loud in general, so don't worry."

They walked quickly across the open plaza, their boot steps echoing off the pavement and metal and glass. It was still early and not many people were around, to Madelyn's relief.

"It's this building here," said Bones, pointing to the building ahead of them. She looked up and saw that it was one of San Francisco's older buildings, a reconstruction of the Transamerica Pyramid from the 21st century. She smiled briefly. Her grandfather would have loved this building. It was dwarfed by relatively newer surrounding structures that glittered in the rising sun.

"Seems inconspicuous," she said.

"That was the point," McCoy replied. "They turned the basement into a supermax with one prisoner in mind."

Madelyn didn't respond. She didn't need to. She'd seen what Khan was capable of. On Kronos he'd taken out three entire Klingon ships and countless warriors without getting a scratch. Given the damage Khan had done to Starfleet, San Francisco, and London, Madelyn didn't blame the authorities for taking these extreme measures.

"Normally I'm the only visitor they allow in. He may be a psychopath, but I'm still his doctor."

"What could he possibly need a doctor for?" she asked as they stepped through the front doors of the building. The lobby was dated, and scattered with security officers.

"To stick him with needles and take samples. He's my overgrown lab rat."

At the look Madelyn threw at him, Bones shrugged.

"If you were in my position, you'd go crazy at the opportunity to study a three hundred year old Augment. Don't worry, I'm haven't sliced him open or broken any bones."

She felt the corner of her mouth twitch at his reference to Dr. Dahl. "Who said I was worried?"

Bones flashed his id in a guard's face as they headed for the elevator. "When we get down there, you'll have to let them search you, just so they can know you aren't planning on breaking him out."

Madelyn stared at Bones as the elevator went down into the basement. "I'm not even going to comment on that."

"I'm just warning you. Don't ruffle any feathers."

She shrugged. "It couldn't be worse than airport security."

It was. She was forced to take off her jacket, scarf, shirt, boots, and pants, in a private room with two female security officers looking on. They felt up her bra and panties, and if they hadn't been female, Madelyn probably would have hit them all. When the process was finally over, she quickly dressed, threw the officers a dirty look, and hurried out of the room. Judging by the way Bones was readjusting his coat, he'd been through a similar ordeal.

"I told you they're taking this seriously," he said as more security officers escorted them down a small hallway.

"You could have told me to wear something easier to take on and off," she replied. She swore she heard him snort.

Their credentials were carefully checked one more time, and then they were led down another hall. They stopped at a heavily guarded door.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Bones said, putting a hand on her arm. She gazed firmly back at him.

"I have to do this."


	17. Chapter 17

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you so much to all of you who've faithfully been reading and reviewing. I can't tell you how much I enjoy reading your reviews. They inspire me and encourage me, since sometimes it's hard to know if anyone is even reading this story! Here's a giant hug for all of you ]=======(^_^)=======[ Now without further adieu, I give you chapter 17.**_

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

* * *

Madelyn was escorted into the room by two security officers and was greeted by the sight of Khan sitting behind a glass barrier. It was a familiar sight, she realized, only this time she'd come to see him of her own free will. This was her choice to come here, she reminded herself, and she could leave whenever she wanted. The doors hissed shut behind her. She was alone in the room with just the officers, who stationed themselves by the door, and Khan.

She approached his cell with confident steps. When she stopped, her face was inches from the glass. He was sitting against the back wall of the cell, with his hands on his knees and a brooding look on his face.

"Hello." Her voice was shockingly smooth to her own ears.

She waited, watching with baited breath as he stood and took a few steps towards her. His hands hung limply at his sides, but his expression tightened as he studied her. Once again, she was grateful for the glass.

"Hello," he replied in kind. A slight smile crept onto his face. "It took you a week to find me?"

"I woke up yesterday," she said coolly. She watched as his expression shifted. Then she regretted her aloof tone as he lifted his chin.

"Why are you here?" he asked, his voice taking on a cold timbre that would have made her shiver had she not sensed it was coming when he pulled his hands behind his back.

She opened her mouth to answer back, but hesitated. She could simply ask him why he did what he did, but she knew his answer would only involve pointing out how the entirety of Starfleet was at fault. That simply wasn't the case. Then it struck her. She could use his own tactics against him. She could try to manipulate him.

"Spock told me about your crew."

She watched him as his brow tightened and his eyes softened, and then just as quickly as his emotional barrier disappeared, his jaw hardened and his fists clenched. "Did Spock tell you how he murdered my crew?"

Madelyn lifted her chin to match his stance. She could choose to withhold the vital information that his crew was still alive and keep a slim grasp on his emotions. If she told him now, he would be holding all of the cards once again. "He did what was best for his own crew," she replied. She reassured herself that it wasn't a lie.

"Did it ever occur to you that he sent you to your death?"

There they were again, Khan's words trying to inch their way into her and plant a seed of distrust. She held steady. "There was nothing he could have done. After you murdered Admiral Marcus, I panicked and left the bridge. There was no way Spock could have beamed me out with the others."

A slight smile crept onto Khan's face. "Already you've made a mistake in assuming it was Spock who reclaimed his crew. I beamed them back to the Enterprise. Kirk. Marcus. Scott. I could have returned you as well."

She knew he was trying to surprise her with this new tidbit of information. It had occurred to her that Spock had been helpless to get Kirk back, that he'd depended on Khan for one moment to safely return his captain and fellow crewmembers. After all, Khan could have easily gone back on their deal and simply killed them. But he'd chose to keep his promise. So she chose to remind him of that.

"You let Spock dictate your next move. You could have kept Kirk and the others. You could have killed them just as soon as Spock returned your torpedoes. But you didn't."

"Are you trying to explain me, Madelyn?" His voice bore no surprise, only amusement. The gears turning in her mind stalled. She knew her face was an open book. "You think I had some ulterior motive, that I let myself become weak in front of the crew of the Enterprise just so I would regain my crew." His blue eyes pierced right through her. "I was not weak. I was returning to Spock what was rightfully his, while keeping what was rightfully mine."

"Your crew?"

"You."

She fought to keep her expression light. She would pretend not to take him seriously. She rolled her lips together and let her teeth show in a sad smile. "You don't own me, Khan. I'm not a toy that you can play with, touch whenever you want, toss around your ship while you deliberately crash it." She let those last words fall off her tongue like knives. Inside, she was furious that he thought of her that way.

"_Why then here does any one step forth? Because one did survive the wreck_."

She could hardly tolerate this any longer. "Moby Dick. How intelligent, Khan. You're forgetting I studied literature too. You can't influence me that easily."

"And yet here you are, talking to me now, I'm assuming out of your own free will."

She'd hoped her façade would last longer, but he would always be one step ahead of her. If it weren't for the glass between them, she knew he'd have pounced on her by now.

It made sense, in a perfectly honorable way, for him to have kept his deal with Spock. She understood that now. And she knew he felt betrayed by Spock. All she had to do was tell him the truth about his crew and that would all go away, at least that was her optimistic hope. But still, even as his gaze penetrated her through the glass barrier between them, she felt she needed this one piece of information for herself, one last semblance of control she could hold over him. As for herself, there was only one thing she needed to hear.

"Why did you keep me alive?" she said.

He didn't answer. He only watched her. She felt her blood pressure rising.

"Answer the question, Khan."

"Do I even need to?" he replied calmly.

"Did you feel anything towards me? Anything at all? Or am I just looking for an imaginary ghost to tell me he's real?"

"I'm very real, Madelyn."

She ground her teeth at his unhelpful responses. "Then what happened in London? Who was the man I put all my trust in?"

"You're looking at him."

She wanted to punch him. At the very least, she wanted to punch the glass. She wondered if she could crack it, though Khan had undoubtedly tried that already and failed. So she stood her ground and narrowed her gaze at him, trying to make herself as clear as possible.

"If you really care for me in any way, don't ever tell me you own me. I am not your possession."

He took a few more steps towards her, until he was towering over her, kept from touching her only by the glass. "Is that what you're going to tell the tribunal? That I kidnapped you and hurt you?"

"No—"

"The man responsible for kidnapping you is dead. You saw me end him. You wouldn't lie in a court of law, would you Madelyn?"

"No," she murmured. She dug her fingernails into her palms. She wanted suddenly to tell him about Dr. Dahl, about what he did to her, about Carol and how she'd stood by while Dr. Dahl experimented on her. But that would mean baring herself to him emotionally, and that was something she wasn't comfortable doing anymore.

"I never once harmed you, Madelyn, and you would do well to remember that."

She glared at him. A well-crafted deception could cause more harm than a hand around the neck could ever hope to. She backed away from him and headed towards the door. "I'll see you in court."

A week passed. Madelyn didn't see Khan again. He'd given her enough information for her to guess that he felt something for her, but she wasn't sure those feelings were mutual, and if they were she couldn't admit it. She was able to forget about it for a while though. After undergoing a few more tests that Bones assured her were purely for checking her health, she spent a lot of time on the phone with her grandfather's connections in London, figuring out what to do with the remainder of his belongings. Most of it would be sold and the proceeds donated to charity, including the house in Windsor. She'd be inheriting enough to live comfortably in a small flat in the city. Which city would be decided after the trial. Meanwhile, she was stuck in San Francisco. In fact, she was stuck in the same building she'd woken up in earlier that week. Bones had insisted she stay there, just to be safe. She'd rolled her eyes at that comment. But after adjusting the furnishings, and with a few additions, the room did hold a certain appeal. And she couldn't have asked for a better view of the harbor.

Besides dealing with her late grandfather's effects, she spent the better part of a day trying to convince the headmaster of the private school she once taught at to keep her on, at least as an assistant. The headmaster had already decided she was in no position to continue teaching a normal full-time schedule, partially due to her position in the upcoming trial.

"I don't know if you've paid any attention to the telly, but your face is all over the news," the headmaster had said over the phone. "Not surprising given the historically despotic profile of the accused, but you're a star witness in this case. I just can't see you coming back here and teaching like you always did. Not just for the students, but for their parents too. I'm so sorry, Madelyn."

Explaining that she could easily return to London after the trial was over didn't convince him a bit. For the headmaster, it was about her "public image" and how it could "effect her way with the students and their parents." Madelyn kept her professional cool throughout the call, but as soon as the headmaster hung up she threw the phone across the room, shattering the slender pane of glass and aluminum against the wall.

And then Kirk finally woke up. She knew it by the commotion down the hall, marked by Bones yelling at people.

"Stay out of the room, dammit! Can I get some help here? I'm a doctor, not a bouncer."

She went down to join the Enterprise crewmembers that were gathering at the door, but couldn't get a proper view of the captain even when she stood on her toes. She figured she'd come back later when things had calmed down. On her way back to her room, Bones stopped her.

"Madelyn, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Curious what was so important that they needed to be in the privacy of her room with the door closed, Madelyn's expression was perpetually inquisitive as Bones scrolled through his tablet. Finally he looked up and handed her the tablet. There were readings on it she didn't understand, until the doctor pointed to one in particular.

"This graph here shows your levels of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, or hCG. Normally they'd be about here." He lowered his finger. "But your blood is carrying unusually high amounts of it, especially for someone your age and build. I was ready to write it off as being caused by your damn augmented genes, but you're also showing elevated levels of progesterone and estrogen, which are usually well regulated under normal circumstances."

"Normal circumstances?" She stared at the tallest column, the numbers, and the long names, trying to make sense of them. "What's hCG?" she asked, glancing up at him. She needed to be sure she was hearing him right.

"It's the hormone that regulates your body's ability to produce estrogen and eventually carry to term. Without it, you'd miscarry."

She stared at him but was unable to form any words.

"Madelyn, you're pregnant."


	18. Chapter 18

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow guys, this is my longest chapter yet. I hope you enjoy it!**_

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

* * *

"But you don't understand. This shouldn't even be possible! Mark and I tried for two years and—it never worked!"

"I know. I was given full access to your records when they brought you here. I can't explain it. Though if I had to guess on the father, I'd say that explains it enough for me."

"What, you think because he's an Augment and I'm—"

"I'm saying that makes a hell of a lot more sense than a damn immaculate conception."

She was literally wringing her hands. "Do you have a pregnancy test I could use?"

He pulled one out of his pocket. "I knew you'd ask."

She went into the bathroom and did the test. Sure enough, the little plus sign flashed on the interface. She combed shaking fingers through her hair. This was a complication she did not need right now.

With Mark, it had been impossible to have children. Both of them had been tested, and the doctors confirmed it wasn't him. They'd said it didn't matter how much sex they had. Her body simply wouldn't cooperate with his. It was "unexplainable" and frankly confusing, but there was nothing to be done. She'd been born that way.

And to think, of all people, it would be Khan who could give her children. After one time.

She found Bones again not too much later and they went into a quiet room, away from listening ears. "How far along am I?"

"How long ago did you two have sex?"

She felt her cheeks grow red. It'd been a little over two weeks, if she counted the week she was unconscious.

"You can't tell anyone. This has to stay a secret. Please, please don't tell anyone about this. If this goes public, the shit could hit the fan for me, and that's the last thing we both need or want." Then she grabbed his arm. "And do _not_ tell Khan."

Bones met her gaze knowingly, glancing at the doorway as a nurse passed by in the hall. "One condition. I'm your doctor, you're my patient. During the trial, you don't leave this building without my knowledge."

She crossed her arms. "Fine."

They both nodded in agreement, though Madelyn more begrudgingly. When Bones left, she returned to her quarters, quietly shutting the door behind her. The setting sun left orange streaks across the floor and walls. She sank into her bed.

If she was going to keep this baby, as soon as the trial was over, she was going to put as much distance between herself and wherever Khan ended up. But the decision now was whether to even keep it. She knew the procedure would be clean, but it could leave her body in a state that wouldn't promote childbearing in the future. And then there was the matter of who the child would grow up to be. Would he or she be like Khan, arrogant, despotic, and violent? Or would the child retain qualities that befitted a kind and unselfish member of society? These and other worries raced through Madelyn's mind as she attempted to go to sleep, but that night, sleep would never come.

* * *

The Federation declared that the trial would begin early, partially due to Kirk's request, which he made public by going directly to the international media.

"I did everything I could possibly do to bring this man to justice. He is a criminal and has murdered countless people over the course of his life. I hope the jury and the judges make the right decision."

That was all he was able to say before being quickly escorted inside the enormous structure that would house the trial. Madelyn came behind him, but the cameras and the reporters that pressed around her received none of her attention. She wanted nothing more than to get this over with. She held her handbag over her face as she rushed inside, surrounded by security. Bones was close at her side, her own personal request she'd made with security. He was the only one who knew everything now.

The courtroom was more of an atrium than anything. Natural light flooded down from the high glass ceilings, supported by huge pillars that lined the walls. The bar of judges in the front contained a mix of Human and Vulcan as per Federation protocol.

As the jury settled themselves on one side of the room, Madelyn was led in with the other witnesses to sit opposite them. Although she didn't recognize anyone on the jury, she was among several of the Enterprise's crew, including Spock and Carol Marcus. As her eyes scanned the remaining people sitting in on the trial, she recognized only Bones at first. Her gaze moved over the sea of faces, most of them decked out in Starfleet uniforms. Her blood froze suddenly as she recognized two men sitting near the back of the room. Owen Gallagher, and Dr. Hans Dahl. She felt her breathing accelerate and her blood pressure rise so she tore her gaze from them. A gentle hand touched her shoulder and she glanced behind to see it belonged to Spock.

"Are you well, Madelyn?" he asked quietly, leaning down from his raised seat.

She gazed at him for a moment, then turned her back. She couldn't bring herself to say it out loud, that no, she was definitely_ not _okay.

But she forgot about Gallagher and Dahl when Khan was brought in. He was dressed in simple black again, his hair slicked back, and his wrists bound in thick, heavy cuffs. His booted feet bore their own weights, but he walked firmly and quickly as though nothing were holding him down. He stared straight ahead as his guards led him to the stand, but once he was locked into the box his gaze floated quickly across the faces of the witness until it found her. Madelyn held it for a moment, pressing her lips together in a thin line. He was so good at drawing her in. His bone structure was accentuated rather well in the natural light of the atrium, and his eyes were bright despite his situation. She grew uncomfortable under his gaze and tried to shake it off by diverting her attention up to the judges, who were calling the trial to begin. She knew he was still watching her, and he continued to until he was called to testify for his own actions.

To Madelyn's shock, he answered every single question truthfully. It was a given that they had all sworn to tell the truth and nothing but the truth for the duration of the trial, but she honestly never believed Khan would be faithful to that oath.

Clearly he understood the immensity of this trial, because he admitted to his war crimes from three hundred years ago, as well as the long list of grievances he'd committed against Starfleet and the Federation since Admiral Marcus had woken him out of cryosleep. But when he came to his murder of the Admiral, he paused, and then proceeded to defend his actions as complete and proper "justice," explaining his every action and his reasoning behind each.

Under normal circumstances, Madelyn would have scoffed at the criminal's attempt to defend his violence. But something resonated in Khan's words, something personal, that she couldn't help but understand exactly what he was feeling. An inkling of doubt grew in her. Was he even as guilty as so many thought he was?

She shifted in her seat and considered what she was thinking. No wonder he hadn't asked for a lawyer, she realized. He held his ground as easily as the best of them. He really was better. And he was convincing.

Several witnesses were brought to the stand, and then the prosecution presented evidence to support their accusations against Khan, much of which was obvious. Madelyn listened with half an ear as Khan's own defense still swirled through her head. Suddenly most of the day had passed and the trial was called to recess until the following morning.

Leaving the courtroom, she kept close to Bones as reporters pressed around them again. She made quick strides to the door, but paused when she heard her name called. She glanced at Bones and turned towards the voice. The media crowding around them also turned. It was Owen.

She thought about rushing at him and socking him in the face, but that wouldn't make for good press. Besides, Khan would appreciate it and amusing him was the last thing she wanted. She stood where she was and kept her cool.

"Mr. Gallagher. What can I do for you?"

"Maddy, I wanted to tell you everything. I'm so sorry."

"Does this look like a good time?" She motioned to the nearest reporter who was craning his neck at them both like a vulture.

Gallagher stuttered over his answer, looking defeated already. She shook her head and followed Bones out of the building and back to Starfleet's new headquarters, eventually leaving their trail of reporters in the dust.

* * *

The following morning, she woke with so much nausea she was sure she was going to puke. She couldn't even stand up straight without clutching her stomach. When Bones came to retrieve her, he knew immediately what was wrong.

"You have morning sickness. It's completely normal."

Madelyn lifted her shirt to look at her belly in the mirror. "I don't even look pregnant," she groaned.

"You're only a few weeks in. You better not look pregnant. Did you eat breakfast?"

"Yes."

"Then you'll be fine in a little. Now come on, we're gonna be late."

She glared at him in the mirror and swallowed through another wave of nausea. "I can't do this, Bones."

"Good god Madelyn, I'm a doctor, not a life coach. How do you expect the trial to go on if you don't do your job and testify today?"

She didn't have an answer for him. He sighed and handed her a pill and a bottle of water. "This is all I can do for now. Your color looks okay. Just walk slower when we get there."

"Great, thanks," she scoffed.

"Also a friendly reminder that your elevated hormones can effect your emotions too."

There was mirth in his voice but she rolled her eyes anyway.

They arrived at the court and Bones carefully helped her out of their vehicle. She stood up and blinked in the bright morning light. Her head was spinning. Gripping McCoy's hand, she took a swig of water and pressed on. There were the usual reporters, yelling questions about her relationship with Owen Gallagher, which she ignored. She wished she had a bubble around her that could keep her from hearing their voices. Every little thing was bothering her this morning. Hormones, she realized.

They entered the safety and quiet of the building and Madelyn escaped to the bathroom. She leaned on the counter, staring at herself in the mirror. Her face wasn't pale, but she felt sick. Her stomach roiled like she'd eaten something rotten. Her lightheadedness had abated somewhat, but she was afraid it could come back at any moment. She left the bathroom and walked carefully into the courtroom. Once she was seated she felt alright. Her hands were shaking. She squeezed them into fists for a moment and then unclenched them but it was no good. She thought about sitting on them but that would be too conspicuous. Spock gave her a knowing look and chose the seat beside her.

"I would try to encourage you but I would not know what to say," he said in a low voice. "All I can tell you is that they will ask you personal questions and you must not fail to answer them."

"They want me to incriminate him," she whispered. "I don't know how I feel about that."

"You must not allow your feelings to dictate your answers, Madelyn. All you must do is tell the truth."

The truth, she thought. What was the truth? And how would they spin her answers? She was sure they would spin them. There were people in this room who would gladly see Khan executed if they could get the jury to rule that way. But wouldn't life in prison be enough? An old, dark prison, far away from the world, maybe even off planet. Yes, that would be enough.

Khan was brought in and this time she made an effort to avoid eye contact. She'd be getting plenty of it on the stand. The judges called the court to order and Kirk stood to address the jury. His argument was clear: that Khan was a genocidal murderer, as history had shown, and his actions against the Federation were no less heinous. He mentioned the murder of Admiral Christopher Pike in the attack on the Daystrom Building, as well as the murder of Admiral Marcus.

At the mention of Marcus' death, one of the judges, a Vulcan, proposed that the situation surrounding Marcus and his conspiracy be made into a separate case, since the Admiral was planning on starting a war and had been building weapons and warships outside of Federation regulatory oversight. Madelyn glanced at Khan as the realization flooded her that he was not even responsible for the existence of the USS Vengeance in the first place, since it was Admiral Marcus who'd forced Khan to design it, under the threat that he would kill the remaining seventy-two members of his crew if he didn't cooperate. Khan already knew all of this information of course, and she could see the satisfaction on his face that the blame for something had rightfully shifted off of him.

"The prosecution calls Ms. Madelyn McGivers to the stand as a witness."

She received a reassuring look from Spock and slowly stood from her seat. All eyes in the room were trained on her. She made her way between the rows of seats and stepped carefully down the stairs. A wave of nausea hit her suddenly and she gripped the cool railing to steady herself, gritting her teeth at the feeling that she was going to puke up her breakfast. After a moment, she composed herself and made it smoothly to the witnesses' stand. She sat unperturbed, keeping her expression as cool as she could. But a glance at Khan told her he'd seen everything.

She swore the oath to tell the truth and nothing but the truth one more time. Then Kirk stood. He was going to be the one proposing questions. She barely contained her scoff. They couldn't have chosen someone more biased. He gave her a nod and a casual smile, despite the professional and uniform way he carried himself.

"How are you, Madelyn?" he asked.

"I'm doing well," she replied. _So much for not lieing in court,_ she thought. She could see Khan raising an eyebrow behind Kirk.

"I want to ask you a few questions about the defendant," said Kirk. "Particularly about your association with him prior to his attacks on London and San Francisco."

"Ok."

"Did you associate with the defendant prior to the attacks?" was his first question.

She nodded, confused by the repetitiveness. "Yes, I did."

"Just for clarity's sake, I'd like to present photographic evidence of your association with him." A holographic display in the center of the atrium hissed to life and lit up, displaying a photo of her shaking hands with Khan. So these were the photos she'd heard mentioned before. "These photos were provided to us by Commander Owen Gallagher. He's a friend of yours, am I right?" Kirk waited.

"Well," she hesitated, "he was." She was slightly perturbed at Gallagher's involvement being used as evidence. But Kirk seemed to understand her answer.

"Where were you when this photograph was taken?"

She studied it for a moment. It showed her shaking hands with Khan, her face clearly visible while Khan's back was to the camera. She remembered that moment. He'd introduced himself as John Harrison. He'd had such a strong handshake. And the friendly smile she wore in the photo made her realize how much she'd changed.

"I was in downtown London," she replied. "I was taking care of some business for my grandfather. He never liked to go into the city."

"And why did the defendant want to meet you?"

"He wanted to meet my grandfather. At the time he'd said he had an ongoing investigation and his lead had led him to my grandfather."

Kirk nodded and looked up at the holographic display. "What was his investigation about?"

Madelyn inhaled and exhaled slowly. "At the time I met him, he never told me. All I learned was that there was someone out there who wanted to kill my family."

Kirk flipped through the next few photos. They were all of Madelyn and Khan huddled over a table in that dark restaurant in London.

Kirk pointed at the hologram. "What's happening here?"

"The same day, I'd set up a meeting between my grandfather and Kh—the defendant. My grandfather decided he didn't want anything to do with him, so I was forced to meet in his place. We went into London and the defendant explained a little about why he was… investigating."

She glanced at Khan as she spoke, knowing full well he knew everything she was talking about. She hated not having an upper hand over him. It was like reminiscing about everything they'd been through when all she wanted to do was forget about it all. And he was pleased to hear her talking about their interactions the way she was. She could see it all over his face.

They continued like this for an hour, Kirk flipping through photos that Gallagher had taken of Madelyn and Khan together in various places, and each time Madelyn would tell Kirk what had happened or led them to that point. When they covered her grandfather's murder, Madelyn revealed she believed Khan found her grandfather's murderer that night when he left her at the crime scene, and killed him.

With Khan in the room, it was literally like having her private thoughts broadcast to a national audience. Before the trial, she'd hoped Khan had chosen to forget about everything, just like she wanted to forget about everything. The man, John Harrison, was the one she'd spent this time with, not the tyrant, Khan Noonien Singh. She kept reminding herself of this and yet it was starting to sound strange.

_John Harrison was a fabrication._

_John Harrison didn't exist._

_I am Khan._

His voice echoed in her mind as she remembered.

The next picture shocked her out of her thoughts as Kirk asked her whether she knew Gallagher was able to access her house at the time he took the photo.

It was a dark, slightly muddy photo, as though it'd been taken from a distance, at night, and through a window. Her cheeks grew steaming hot when she realized what she was looking at: Khan, pinning her against the wall in the house in Windsor, kissing her, with his hand inside her shirt.

She clenched her jaw tight, her eyes growing wide with fury and embarrassment. She felt tears threatening to escape as murmurs rose in the room. Somebody whistled suggestively.

The judges called for order, and Kirk turned to Madelyn with no less than a smug look on his face.

This was something she thought could stay a secret. She was going to kill Gallagher for this.


	19. Chapter 19

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for all of your reviews! I love reading them, some of them really make me laugh, and some of them are really helpful for my thought process in crafting this story._**

**_And now for the conclusion of Khan's trial. How will Madelyn find a way out of this one? Enjoy!_**

* * *

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

* * *

"According to the evidence, it looks to me like the defendant was a lot more to you than just an acquaintance," said Kirk. "Do you deny that you were involved with him romantically?"

Madelyn was on the verge of tears. Her open palms were sweating in her lap. "No," she managed quietly. The court rose in another ruckus. Madelyn looked at Khan. His cuffed hands were clenched into fists and eyes were sending daggers into Kirk's back.

"I'd show the rest of the photos, but frankly they're not appropriate for court," said Kirk. A few soft chuckles and gasps could be heard, as it was obvious what he was referring to. He turned off the hologram and faced Madelyn. "Do you deny that you slept with the defendant the night before he bombed London?"

She made a fist in her lap, digging her fingernails into her palm. Her lips pressed together in a thin line. She didn't want to answer. She couldn't answer. She'd never thought Kirk would stoop to this level—

"Your Honor, I object."

Khan's deep voice echoed throughout the courtroom. All eyes flew to him as he stood firmly in his box, shoulders squared, his gaze fixed on the judges above.

"I object to the prosecution's tactics. I demand that he focus his questions on this case, rather than on the personal life of the prosecution witness. This trial is about me, not her."

Madelyn was gobsmacked. Her heart thumped in her chest. Khan was defending her in his own trial! And Kirk was fuming. "Your honor, I'm only trying to make a point," he shot back.

The courtroom was in an uproar. "He can't speak for himself! He's a criminal!" someone yelled.

"Order!" the judges yelled.

"I'm only trying to show how manipulative and dangerous this man is!" Kirk yelled.

"I said order in this court!" boomed the judge in the center. The room fell silent. Madelyn's palms were no longer sweating. She laced her fingers together and settled herself in her seat, waiting for the judge's decision, grateful to have the court's attention momentarily diverted elsewhere.

"Mr. Singh is representing himself and is well within his rights to speak. The defense may continue," said the judge.

Khan tilted his chin down slightly, his gaze flitting to Kirk. "If I were in your position, Captain Kirk, I would ask the witness how they were treated by the defendant, given your stance on the my psychological status."

More murmurs rose. Madelyn couldn't help but let the corner of her mouth rise. It would be like him to tell the prosecutor how to play in court, during his own trial.

Kirk looked pissed when he turned to Madelyn. "Did the defendant harm you at any time while you were with him?"

She took a breath to calm herself. She felt as though she could gaze confidently out at the crowd in the atrium now. And she realized what Khan was doing. He was saving not only her, but in some way, a little piece of himself.

"No, he did not," she said.

"Are you sure?" Kirk pressed.

"Yes, I'm sure. He never harmed me. He was never violent with me in any way." She felt strange as she spoke, practically defending the man who had turned her life upside down. But it was the truth. "In fact, he saved my life."

"If you're referring to the instance where the defendant forced Commander Owen Gallagher from your home—"

"No, I'm not," she interrupted Kirk. She paused, waiting for the judges to call for order. But she realized everyone was paying close attention to her now. So she told Kirk, and the court, what happened on the Vengeance, and how Khan got her off the ship.

"If it weren't for him, I'd be dead right now, from blood loss due to a severe puncture wound in my side."

Kirk had crossed his arms as he listened. The entire courtroom was silent.

"The defendant was the one who kept you onboard the Vengeance in the first place, Ms. McGivers." Kirk's face said he thought he'd got her. "How do you explain that?"

She shook her head, her gaze directed at Khan. "I can't explain it." He caught her gaze but she couldn't read his face. "I'm still waiting for my answer. But I can tell you why I was on that ship in the first place."

She then proceeded to tell the court what Admiral Marcus had ordered, mentioning only Dr. Dahl and his harmful actions. In that whole room, only Carol Marcus knew, and now Madelyn saw that she was staring at the floor.

As she spoke, a figure getting up in the back of the room caught her eye. It was Dr. Dahl. She felt a surge of anger rise inside her as he slipped out the door, but there was nothing she could do.

When she'd finished speaking, she let the silence in the room speak for itself. Kirk cleared his throat and quickly turned to the judges. "The prosecution has no further questions, Your Honor."

The head judge nodded and cleared his throat. "It seems Admiral Alexander Marcus received his just deserts. It's just as well. This court will take a recess until tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. Meanwhile I would ask the jury to deliberate and be prepared to share their final verdict when they're ready. I am prepared to request you find the defendant, Khan Noonien Singh, guilty on all counts charged against him. "

* * *

"I can't believe that happened. I can't believe Kirk would do that me!"

Madelyn paced across her room as Bones leaned against the wall, tapping away at a tablet.

"He's convinced Khan is a psychopath who needs to be locked away forever," he replied. "I don't blame him."

"But he didn't have to show those pictures! And he didn't have to feel good about it. It was the most humiliating experience, Bones. I don't think you get it!"

"I think the floor gets it, based on those scuff marks."

She ignored him, pacing to the window and back. "But how can he just get away with that? Regardless of _who_ I was doing it with, that was my private life."

"Face it, Madelyn. You won the case today."

"Don't change the subject on me. What happens when the press hears about this?"

Bones shrugged. "There's nothing you can do now. Kirk is untouchable and you know it. Your professional life is royally screwed—no pun intended."

She almost slapped him but he held up his tablet to defend himself and Madelyn was forced to pace back across the room. "I just…" She made fists as she turned from the floor-to-ceiling windows. "I just want this to be over."

Bones gave her a knowing look. "So do I."

"I just don't think Kirk understands any of this. What about the way I was manhandled onto the Enterprise against my will? What about all of those people who now know how close I was to Khan, people that have lost so much because of him? How am I supposed to go outside without getting mobbed?"

"You don't?"

She glared at him.

"Madelyn, there's only so much I can tell you. I'm your doctor, not your damn therapist."

She straightened and crossed her arms. "Then as my doctor, how do you think all of this stress is going to effect the child growing inside me?"

He looked at her, surprised. "You're gonna keep it?"

Her hands dropped loosely to her sides. "I've always wanted children, Bones. Ever since I married Mark, I wanted them. You have no idea how hard it was for me to find out I couldn't have them. And now… I have a chance." She placed a hand on her lower abdomen. "I want to give this one a chance too."

"What about Khan?"

"He'll be in prison."

"Well it just so happens that I may be able to help you find a nice place starting after the trial, but I'm a doctor, not a real estate agent, so don't get your hopes up."

She couldn't help but smile at his disgruntled tone. "You're the one piece of sanity I have in my ridiculously insane life right now." She gave him a light hug and smiled wider at his perpetual frown.

* * *

On her way to court the following day, Madelyn had something thrown at her. She didn't bother to see what it was, but it barely missed her head and smacked one of the security personnel in the chest. She wondered if it would be the first of many more to come.

The courtroom was packed. Clearly people were anxious to hear some sort of verdict, or at least to hear Khan plead guilty. Madelyn wasn't sure either of those would happen. All she knew according to the television she'd flipped on briefly last night was that this was the trial of the century.

After everyone was settled, the judges called the room to order. All the loose ends of the case were tied up and all final evidence was presented. Nothing contrary to the astoundingly popular claim that Khan was guilty was brought forward.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?"

The chosen spokesperson stood. "We have, Your Honor."

Madelyn held her breath.

"We've found the defendant guilty, on some charges. Not guilty, on others."

The courtroom exploded. It took several minutes for the judges to get everyone to calm themselves and be quiet.

The charges were explained. Khan would be found guilty for numerous cases of voluntary manslaughter, and two counts of first degree murder for the deaths of Christopher Pike and Alexander Marcus. As for the Eugenics Wars, the judges said this:

"It is in our power to have this man executed as a war criminal solely for his actions during the Eugenics Wars. We agree with the jury, however, that given this time in which the death penalty no longer serves a function in modern society, and given the circumstances surrounding Mr. Singh's involuntary work for Admiral Alexander Marcus, we cannot subject him to a punishment no longer listed under Federation Judicial Protocol.

"It is also important for us to note that the man responsible for driving Mr. Singh to act as he did, Admiral Alexander Marcus, is now dead by Mr. Singh's hand. Had the Admiral been kept alive, he would have been prosecuted and charged with terrorism and conspiracy to commit treason, effectively ending his career with Starfleet.

"After having taken all possible outcomes into consideration, we have decided that Khan Noonien Singh be returned to circumstances in which he can be useful to the Federation rather than detrimental. Mr. Singh will serve out the remainder of his life under the authority of Starfleet. He will undergo rehabilitation therapy and psychological evaluations according to a schedule designed by an assigned, licensed psychologist. He will be closely guarded and watched at all times, and he will work until he is no longer able to do so.

"Any breach of this parole will result in a summary imprisonment for a length of time not exceeding one year."

Madelyn couldn't believe her ears.

"This court is adjourned and case closed."

He wasn't even going to prison.


	20. Chapter 20

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know you guys are enjoying this story as much as I enjoy reading your reviews. Your reviews really motivate me to keep writing as quickly as I am, so I'm looking forward to more! Anyway I hope you enjoy this twentieth chapter of The Monster's Mask :D**_

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

* * *

Madelyn was shaking.

She was shaking with frustration at the court system; with rage that Khan hadn't gotten what she thought he deserved; with fear that he'd been given more freedom than anyone realized. She wanted nothing more than to be on a different planet than he was. Instead she was merely a building away, and she knew, she just _knew_, he would find a way to get to her.

Bones and Spock had come to her room that afternoon, after she'd been left alone to brood and rage over the jury's verdict and the judge's sentence. Now they were standing out of the way while she paced again, her voice reverberating off the walls and her gestures flying through the air. She demanded to see Kirk, to see the judges, even to see the jury, but no one was making any moves to make that happen.

Bones understood, and in a way agreed, with everything Madelyn was saying, and he made that quite clear. Spock however was vexed by her emotions, and stood by in silence, watching as she paced and yelled, while Bones made an attempt every now and then to calm her down. Even when she'd stopped yelling, it took all evening for her to stop shaking.

"All I know is this," she'd said to Spock before he left her alone that evening. "He cannot know that his crew is still alive, because if he finds out, he'll go on a rampage all over again."

Spock nodded. "I understand. I will do everything in my power to ensure that his crew is stowed safely away where he will never find them. There are only few who know of their continued existence. I will keep it that way."

She lay on her side in bed that night, staring out the window. Tiny lights moved slowly through the black harbor. Further away, the Golden Gate Bridge, a relic of the city, was lit brightly, its old orange paint glowing in the night.

She was going to leave San Francisco as soon as she could. She was going to move somewhere far away, where no one she knew could ever find her. Maybe she'd call Kelly and ask her to join her. The girl was young, but she'd always wanted to travel. Madelyn could pay for everything too. Her grandfather had left her with more than enough to live on. India was starting to sound nice. Or Costa Rica. Maybe even Russia. She didn't care. She wanted to be as far away from Khan as she could possibly get, both for her sake and her unborn child's.

There was a knock on her door early the next morning. She slowly pulled herself out of bed and answered it without checking the mirror, ignoring the wave of nausea that hit her as she came face to face with Bones. She felt him eyeing her hair and stared right back, dreary eyed.

"It's too early for you to be here without a reason," she muttered.

"Yeah, listen, I've got orders to clear this floor out today. You're gonna have to move out starting now."

She stared at him and wiped lack of sleep from her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm not ready to move out yet. I've got to buy a plane ticket and have my stuff in London shipped—"

"And you can do that, but right now you've just gotta find a place somewhere in the city. I can help you out if you want—"

"Whose orders are these, Bones?"

"They're from on high. I don't have say here. Starfleet is cleaning house and reorganizing everything."

She leaned on the doorjamb and rubbed her forehead. "This is great timing. Really great timing. Alright, well, thanks for the heads up I guess."

"I'll see you later. I've got a lot to do."

"Yeah." She watched him walk away, then turned to survey her room. There was maybe one bag's worth of stuff that belonged to her. Moving out wouldn't take long.

* * *

Bones did have a place in mind. It was small but it did the trick for now, an old but well-kept multi level flat in a historic district southwest of downtown. The top floor offered not only a great view of the city in general, but a spectacular view of the demolished remains of Starfleet Headquarters. Most of the USS Vengeance had been cleared out by now, but that entire section of the city was still a charred heap of twisted debris.

"It's got its charms," said Bones when he saw her staring out the window in the living room. "At least here you're out of the city."

She glanced at him, wondering if he was trying to be sarcastic. "I'm out of downtown. But my neighbors are on the other side of that wall."

"Look, this place is signed under my name, so you officially don't live here. No one knows you're here. You'll be fine."

She chewed on the inside of her lip and glanced back out the window. It would take a little getting used to, but hopefully she wouldn't be here long. "What if someone finds me anyway?" Three names flitted through her head. Khan. Dr. Dahl. Owen. When Bones didn't immediately answer, she shrugged. "Nevermind. You know what, thanks for putting up with me. I've been a real bitch lately."

"Haven't we all?"

They both chuckled.

"Besides, somebody had to make sure you were still alive and functioning properly through that damn trial."

She managed to smile. The man was persistent to a fault.

"Well, I should get back to work," he said cutting into the silence. "Call me if you have any problems."

She watched as he let himself out, then ran to the door and locked it. She made a mental note to pick up an extra lock the next time she was out. She wasn't taking any chances.

* * *

A week passed in which absolutely nothing happened.

Madelyn made one excursion through the neighborhood to pick up some food and a few items of clothing and rushed back home. She swore the only reason no one noticed her was because of her sunglasses and hat. She also called a few people, but no one wanted to talk for long. So she spent the majority of her time cleaning the apartment and making it livable. The windows needed to be scrubbed and the carpets replaced with modern flooring. She wanted to do something to the yard too but she was too nervous to spend much time outside for long so she called a local company and they came and beautified it for her.

She was trying to live normally. She really was. But all she could think about was anyone finding out where she was, because if just one person found out, it could end up in the tabloids or on the internet, and that would mean Khan could find her, or Dr. Dahl, or Owen. She didn't want any of them to find her. She wondered if Khan was even allowed out of certain sectors of the city, and if so, whether he was tracked or not. She hadn't yet been given the full details of his lifetime parole like she'd requested, so she was stuck with being paranoid.

When she thought about it though, it wasn't even paranoia. It was a fierce desire of forced separation. She needed to be away from him. His good looks and charisma had been deceiving, and she knew now what he was capable of. He was dangerous, and it was enough to make her wary, knowing that somewhere in San Francisco, he was marginally free.

After a while, the apartment didn't need to be cleaned anymore, and the news on television became a constant repeating cycle of rumors, lies and propaganda. She thought about getting a dog, until the landlord specifically forbade it in one phone call. She needed something to occupy her time. A job would be nice, she realized. Not for the money, which she didn't need, but for the structure it could provide to her life. She needed to move on. But who would even give her one now, given her status as a front page celebrity, famous for having a relationship with a convicted criminal, her face scattered amongst tabloids and news flashes, her reputation squashed in the mud. She knew the answer to this question almost immediately. Starfleet.

They'd probably hand her a job just out of guilt, as reparation for everything inflicted on her by the actions of a certain former Starfleet admiral. When she made a few phone calls, she found her suspicion of this to be confirmed, and was told she'd receive a follow up call in a few days. There was no need for an interview, because they already knew everything about her.

Satisfied that she was making appropriate steps towards life progress in some fashion, Madelyn let herself relax that evening by herself with a small glass of wine. She pulled out the stained paperback copy of _Memoirs of a Geisha_ she'd acquired from an old bookstore down the street. Apparently it was the only bookstore left in San Francisco, now that most literature had been transferred to electronic versions, a long overdue process that was actually pushed by the Federation. She carefully opened the book and turned to the first chapter, reading the lines out loud. She loved the way words fell off her tongue from the pages of an old book.

"_Suppose that you and I were sitting in a quiet room overlooking a garden, chatting and sipping at our cups of green tea while we talked about something that had happened a long while ago, and I said to you, "That afternoon when I met so-and-so… was the very best afternoon of my life, and also the very worst afternoon_—"

The intercom at her front door rang. Her heart thudded in her chest. No one had come to her door since she'd moved in. She thought about not answering it. It could've been the post. She set her book and wine down quietly on the coffee table and went to the door. It was an old-fashioned door on hinges, with a peephole in the center. She flipped on the porch light, then stood on her toes to look outside. An angry breath escaped her lips.

She unlocked the door and opened it abruptly. "What are you doing here, Kirk?"

He gave her a closed smile, his blue eyes glittering in the yellow porch light. "I came to see how you were doing."

She stared at him. "Well I'm doing fine thank you."

She moved to shut the door but Kirk's hand on the doorjamb stopped her. "Madelyn, I came to apologize. My behavior at the trial was… inexcusable."

With one quick motion, Madelyn stepped onto the porch and slapped him. Then she raised her eyebrows at the surprise on his face. "I'm sorry. Did I just hear you say you're an asshole?"

"Wow," he muttered, holding a hand to his face. "They weren't kidding when they said you had a trace of augmented genes."

She glared at him. "You destroyed my reputation."

He tried to put a hand on her shoulder and she stepped back to avoid him. "I didn't realize the backlash or the media storm that was going to follow," he assured her. "If I'd known the Federation wasn't keeping tightlipped about the whole thing, I never would have—"

"Save it, Kirk. The damage is done."

He stood there in silence for a moment. Madelyn realized she was still standing outside and pulled herself back into the apartment. Kirk was still standing there, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Do you want to come in?" she offered quietly.

"If you don't mind."

She let him inside and locked the door behind him. "At least you're not who I was expecting to show up."

Kirk turned from surveying the apartment. "Khan?" He scoffed. "That bastard's not going anywhere. He's got guards on his ass 24/7."

"You don't seriously think he's just going to put up with it. We both know he won't. Eventually you'll have to lock him up where he belongs."

"Cryosleep?"

"No, you idiot. Prison! God, what do I have to do to get people to realize he's dangerous?!"

"We know he's dangerous. I know, alright? He almost killed me."

"No, you almost killed you. Spock told me everything."

Kirk seemed surprised. His eyes lingered over the glass of wine.

"But I saw him kill Admiral Marcus. He crushed the Admiral's skull with his bare hands." She swallowed, reliving the memory suddenly. "I've never seen him so furious with anyone."

"He's a psychopathic murderer, Madelyn. We both know where he needs to be."

Kirk left soon after. Madelyn was sure he'd only wanted to apologize. She saw something great in him, but he was barely older than her, and she knew if she were in Kirk's position, she would have pulled out all the stops until she got what she wanted.

Playing their brief conversation over in her mind as she returned to the couch, she realized she'd only ever seen Khan murder with intentionality. He didn't do it for fun, for a buzz, or for some sick tally in his head. He did it with purpose. Her grandfather's killer. Admiral Marcus, who'd used Khan as his tool for a year. And anyone who got in Khan's way. His methods were brutal, for sure, but maybe his reasons had some merit—

She shook her head at herself and took another sip of wine. Bones had said the antioxidants in a dry red were beneficial for both her and the baby, so one small glass a week was alright for now.

She reminded herself that Khan was dangerous, highly intelligent, and would do anything to get what he wanted, even if it meant destroying an entire city.

* * *

The next day she received the follow up call. It was from a Starfleet officer who wouldn't give his name. _"I received a communication about a job request from a Madelyn McGivers. Am I speaking to her?"_

She hesitated, almost wanting to hang up rather than reveal the name behind the phone number. "Yes, this is she."

The voice on the other end grew lighter. _"Wonderful. I have an opening available with a Chief Medical Officer in Starfleet Medical if you're interested."_

"Alright. What sort of job is it?"

_"It will involve mostly organization skills. The doctor said he needed someone to help him get his new office in order, and possibly to help him with research. He said that according to your resume you are extremely intelligent and possess outstanding problem solving skills, as well as a unique genetic makeup, which he said may prove useful to some of his research."_

Madelyn bit her lip. She almost yelled into the receiver. "How did you know about that? Who's offering me this job?" she replied, her tone biting.

_"He said he couldn't give his name due to security reasons. I imagine your connection with Mr. Khan Noonien Singh gave him pause. Shall I let him know you've turned down his offer?"_

An offer for her to be some scientist's lab rat? She didn't like the idea. But she needed something to keep her occupied before the baby inside her kept her from working, and this was an opportunity. Besides, she couldn't experience anything much worse than what Dr. Dahl had put her through.

"As long as this doctor lets me give full consent to whatever tests he wants to run, tell him I'll take the position."

_"I will let him know Ms. McGivers. I'll call you again when I have more details on the time and place of work. Thank you for your time."_

The call ended and Madelyn set the receiver down on the kitchen counter. At least it was something. The second call came later and she was instructed on when and where to arrive.

The following morning, she hired a taxi and headed into the city. On the way she noticed how the driver's eyes kept flitting across the rear view mirror to look at her, and when she looked back, his gaze returned to the road.

"Is there something you find interesting about me?" she said after finally having enough of it. The driver cleared his throat and shifted nervously in his seat.

"Nah, you just look familiar that's all. Probably just seen you around somewhere."

She didn't reply. He'd probably seen her face all over the news. When they arrived, she quickly paid him and exited the vehicle.

To her chagrin, the new location of Starfleet Medical was right back where she'd started after the events on the Vengeance. She entered the building with her head held high, ignoring the looks and comments thrown her way. The secretary rang up the doctor and told Madelyn to go on up.

She shared the elevator with one other person, an older woman with her arm in a cast. Madelyn glanced at her and smiled a little. The woman didn't look very pleased to see her. In fact, she was glaring at her. Madelyn shifted in her high heels, glancing nervously at the floor counter. She noticed the woman was facing her now.

"You're the slut who fucked that terrorist," she said bitterly.

Madelyn stared straight ahead.

"You could've stopped him you know. See my arm?" She waved her cast in Madelyn's face. "Crushed by falling debris when that ship fell on the city. I won't be able to use it again."

Madelyn clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to look at the woman who was now pressing herself into her face.

"Bitch! Look at me! Do you know how many people died? They're still finding bodies everyday. You should be in jail for what you let happen!"

The elevator doors hissed open on Madelyn's floor and she tried to step around the woman.

"Hey, you fucking slut! Where do you think you're going?"

Pissed at the woman's name-calling, Madelyn whirled to retort. Instead she was smacked across the face by the woman's rock-hard cast.

"You deserve a lot more than that, bitch," the woman growled. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and strode off.

Madelyn held her face in shock, ignoring the gawkers who stared as they walked by. Her cheek stung and when she pulled her hand away there was a trace of blood on her fingers. She took a breath and continued towards the doctor's office. She noticed strangely that two well-armed security officers guarded the door. They didn't acknowledge her when she asked if she could go in, so she hit the intercom and announced her presence to the room. The door slid open and a third officer escorted her inside, shutting and locking the door behind her with a keypad.

The extreme security measures bothered her a little. She followed the officer across the room and through another well-guarded door. Bones met her with a smile as they walked in, but she barely had time to register her surprise at the doctor's presence. Her eyes planted themselves on a figure sitting across the room. She sucked in a breath and her heart momentarily froze.

Khan lifted his eyes from the tablet in his hands and smiled softly. "It's good to see you again, Madelyn."

She took a step backwards but realized she had nowhere to go.


	21. Chapter 21

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE: So I need to do a long overdue shout out to all of you loyal people who consistently review this story. Thanks to CLTex, peerme, Elliesmeow,WarriorDragonElf54, Savysnape7, Benedict'sZombieGirl, DemonicSymphony, JediCasons, priestessofeternity, Fat Old Sun, and I'm sure I've missed a bunch! Thank you all so much for sticking by while I write this ridiculous fic. You guys are awesome! _**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

* * *

Khan could barely hide his amusement as he watched her.

Madelyn glanced frantically between him and the doctor. Clearly she hadn't been expecting this turn of events. What deception Dr. McCoy had managed to concoct in order to bring her here, he couldn't know. But he found their current scenario detestable, angry at the possibility that she could mistake his presence here as an act of cooperation with Dr. McCoy, an idea that could not have been further from the truth. He'd refrained from violence this long merely because he _knew_ she would be there, and because one move too early would destroy his chance at freedom, a chance that he knew was rapidly approaching.

"What is he doing here?" she demanded to know, glancing at McCoy. Khan's eyes swept her body, noting her high heels, her professional attire, her carefully styled hair. Her eyes were filled with indignation and her left cheek was bleeding.

"You're hurt," he said, gesturing to his own cheek in a show of sympathy. It was not insincere.

"It's nothing," was her curt response. As she eyed him, he wondered what trouble she'd found herself in this time, but she was right. It was only a surface abrasion and her cells would heal within the hour. Madelyn's attention shifted to McCoy again, much to Khan's displeasure.

"Bones, would you mind telling me what's going on? I came here for a job."

So she'd been looking for work at Starfleet. At first the thought enraged him, but he realized she would have no other options. With her reputation destroyed in the public's eye, she'd found herself forced to return to Starfleet for employment, in a sick twist of fate.

Khan set down the tablet he'd quietly hacked into and stood abruptly from the chair behind McCoy's desk. The guards assigned to him tensed, their hands reaching for phasers in their belts. He retained a subtle smirk. They were terrified of him, and he would be sure to follow through on their fear when the time was right.

"I came here because I was ordered to," he said, inserting himself into Madelyn's confrontation. Recalling their last conversation before his trial, he would not let her push him away so easily this time.

He drew his hands behind his back, acknowledging Bones with a questioning eyebrow. He knew how to take command of a room with the simplest of gestures. "Please tell us, Dr. McCoy, what are we doing here?" He allowed for an annoyed lilt in his voice, just for emphasis.

"I need you both for an experiment," said the doctor, sounding almost uninterested. Khan was not pleased to hear this, and it seemed neither was Madelyn. McCoy rolled his eyes at her reaction. "Jesus, don't panic. I just need some tissue and blood samples from you both. Since they've gotta be fresh to do the trick, I can't just bring a whole lab to y'all at once."

Her stubborn expression hardened. "I was told I'd be getting a job when I came here, not a jab," she countered.

"I know and I'm sorry it had to be this way," said McCoy. "I didn't think you'd come if you knew."

Khan felt a tinge of satisfaction at the look Madelyn gave the doctor. She wanted nothing to do with this because _he_ was there, but now she had no choice. He watched her slightly fascinated but was not surprised when she burst out shouting.

"I'm so tired of being stabbed in the back by people I trust!" She reached for a plaque on the wall nearby, McCoy's diploma from Starfleet Medical Academy, wrenched it from the wall and smashed it into the floor. "I'm tired of being lied to!"

Khan couldn't help but admire the fury that erupted from her. Her chest rose and fell with her labored breaths as she met his gaze. He felt the corner of his mouth rise. Something was growing inside of her, he realized, elevating her hormones, stoking her inner fire.

Startled by his expression, she ripped her gaze from his, looking down at the shattered glass by her feet and uttered a tiny gasp, barely a sharp inhalation that only Khan's enhanced hearing could have picked up. She knelt down and began to gather the broken pieces in her bare hands. "I am so sorry, Bones. I didn't mean—"

"Don't worry about it," said McCoy.

Khan felt a tinge of jealousy as the doctor went over and pulled Madelyn to her feet. If he tried to touch her like McCoy did, he would certainly be met with resistance from more than just her.

"I need you to sign this consent form." McCoy handed her the tablet from his desk, the one Khan had briefly hacked into, finding every piece of data he could about Madelyn's new life. He watched as she took it, imagining her hands gracing a fragment of his skin cells or a molecule of oil from his fingers.

She glanced at the glowing screen in her hands, her eyes flitting back and forth over the small print. Khan wondered briefly if she could read as quickly as he could.

"What if I don't want to sign it?" she said, shooting him another glance. She was in a much better position than him, being given a choice on the matter while he had not. Yet again, he forced down the anger he'd been incubating ever since those Federation imbeciles who called themselves judges had sentenced him back into servitude.

McCoy sighed in exasperation. "If you don't sign the form, you get to go back home and I don't get to complete my work."

Khan lifted his chin slightly, considering the possibility that he would have to find another way to begin to be close to her again. But his doubts were erased immediately when she promptly signed the tablet and shoved it back into McCoy's hands.

* * *

For a moment, all Madelyn heard was the sound of her high heels clicking along the floor, and her heart thumping in her chest. The walk from Bones' office to the lab was like walking a gauntlet. Everything on that floor had stopped, and everyone they passed was staring. It was bad enough that Khan was practically right behind her, with a clear view of her back, and her rear. His security officers kept very clear of him, and she didn't blame them.

"Is this gonna become a regular thing around here, using Khan like this? You do realize that was what made him turn on Admiral Marcus, right?" She kept her voice low in the hopes that the Augment couldn't hear her. She realized her effort was probably in vain. Bones shrugged.

"I'm not the one who decided it was a good idea to let him wander around here like a wolf in a sheep pen. I'm just trying to make medical advancements, and after what happened to Jim using this bastard's blood, I thought, hell, why not try it again?"

Madelyn couldn't help but shake her head. It was a disaster waiting to happen and she felt trapped in the middle of it, all over again. "So what are you planning to do?" She glanced back at Khan to see that he could hear them just fine. He smiled enigmatically and she looked away.

"I want to synthesize a protein using base genetic code from each of you, and go from there."

"What do you hope to accomplish with this?" she asked, considering the possibilities for medicines, treatments, even cures. But Bones just shook his head.

"This is all new to me. I'm taking it a step at a time."

Madelyn nodded, slightly disappointed. "So you'll only need a small sample?"

"Very small. It'll feel like a pinch."

She let out a dark chuckle. "The last time I was told that, I ended up with a broken arm."

They took the wide staircase that wound through the central hub of the building. The lab was a few floors up. Madelyn bristled as she felt a hot breath graze the back of her neck. She quickened her steps, not daring to turn around to see how close he'd managed to get to her as they went up the stairs. She glanced at one of the security officers tasked with guarding him and sent the slight man a deadly glare.

"Does Starfleet know?" she said after a moment.

"What?"

"That they've got a psychopathic doctor in their ranks?"

Bones shook his head. "I doubt he's a priority, if they even know about him. For all we know, he died in the damn crash."

"He didn't. I saw in court." Madelyn clenched her teeth briefly, recalling the way that coward had skittered out of the courtroom while she testified to his disgusting actions.

"What happened to your face?" Bones asked. "You should get that cleaned up."

She reached up and felt the tender skin and dried blood. She knew it would be completely healed by the end of the day. "There was a woman in the elevator with me. She wore a cast on her arm, said she'd never be able to use it again because of the Vengeance. I guess she recognized me, and started cursing and screaming, and then she hit me."

"I'll gladly find this woman and end her if you wish," came Khan's deep voice.

Madelyn stared at him as they came to a halt by a set of highly secure doors. Khan was looking at her as though she was the only thing left in the world.

"There'll be no _ending_ of anybody," said Bones, his eyebrow twitching. "We're here."

He punched in the security code and they went inside. Two security officers took up posts outside and the doors slid shut with a hiss, locking in place. The other officers remained within a safe distance of Khan. Madelyn noted that this seemed to be their standard procedure. They were probably more terrified of Khan than she was, and she certainly didn't feel safe around him, not when he could come up behind her and breathe on her neck without consequence.

Bones went through a sliding door into the next room to gather some supplies, leaving Madelyn alone in the main room with Khan. She edged around a large table in the center of the room that was scattered with lab equipment and other gadgets. She wasn't comfortable until the table became a wide barrier between them.

She stared at him from across the room, the low fluorescent lights illuminating his face. She half expected him to fling the table away and pounce on her. Instead, he addressed her frankly.

"How have you been, Madelyn?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

He gazed at her for another moment, then turned and studied the room "It was worth a try."

She narrowed her eyes. Was that mirth she heard in his voice?

She eyed him as he began to walk around the table, sliding his fingers along the shiny metal surface. "I don't know why the Federation believes they can hold me like this. They've returned me to the literal slavery I was forced into by Alexander Marcus. Would you say that's a cruel twist of fate, or perhaps you do not believe justice has been properly served?"

Madelyn backed away as he slowly advanced towards her. He was fuming, his eyes glistening darkly with built-up rage. From the way his knuckles turned white as they pressed against the table, she realized he'd been saving his anger for an opportune moment.

"Don't take it out on me," she said quietly, her eyes flitting to his guards. They were already proving themselves to be useless. She could see it on their pale faces.

"Alright, kids I'm back. Hope you behaved."

With Bones back in the room, the invisible rope of tension that was drawing Khan towards her vaporized. His jaw clenched and he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. She saw the tension in his neck and shoulders subside and felt a slight breath of relief escape her lungs as his attention was drawn to the doctor's instruments.

"I can do this right here if you want. It should only take a moment."

Madelyn was already rolling up her sleeve. "Go ahead."

Bones took his tissue sample. It was only a pinch, as he'd said. When he was done, Madelyn rolled down her sleeve and looked coolly at Khan. The Augment said nothing as Bones injected him and took several samples, and then it was over as quickly as it'd begun. Bones took the syringes of blood and tissue into the next room, leaving the two of them alone again save for the five silent security officers.

"How is our expected treating you?"

"What?" Madelyn snapped her eyes to him, her hand subconsciously resting over her belly. She knew she wasn't showing yet. She'd checked just that morning.

Khan tilted his chin down slightly, angling his piercing gaze at her from across the corner of the table. "Don't think I haven't noticed, Madelyn. Your body temperature is elevated. Your hormones are rushing through you. And your face is glowing. You've never looked better."

She glared at him indignantly, even as Bones returned to the room and began fiddling with a microscope.

"May I go?" she asked stiffly, not looking at the doctor as Khan's gaze punctured something inside of her, something she'd wanted to keep far away from him.

Bones didn't glance up from his work. "That's it. You can go."

She refused to spew the words at Khan that balanced on the tip of her tongue. His lips parted microscopically, as though he were waiting for her to have another outburst of anger. He wanted her to lose control, she realized. Because if she did, then he could take that control back.

She tore her gaze from him and walked quickly to the door of the lab, feeling his eyes burning into her back. She was let out, but she didn't hear the doors hiss closed. Her high heels tapped loudly down the hall. He'd left the lab too, his security escort surely in tow and clueless on what to do without getting themselves killed. She felt her heart thumping in her ears. Bypassing the elevators for their slowness, she pulled off her heels and headed for the stairs in the center of the building. She was twenty floors up.

She ran down the wide staircase, ignoring the looks of those she passed, her bare feet carrying her easily down the cold glass steps. She reached the ground floor and walked swiftly through the heart of the vast lobby, not bothering to glance behind for fear that he was right on top of her. She heard footsteps, but she couldn't be sure if they were his. She knew the only thing keeping him from stopping her was his careful planning. He would have calculated the best time and method of escape. His guards would be no issue for him.

The plaza outside came into view through the wide glass wall in front of her. The door she sought drew nearer. It contained biometric sensors in its handle, allowing only authorized personal to enter or exit with a simple scan of the palm. Khan could not open it, but he could take advantage of Madelyn's clearance, or simply break through the glass. She was unsure how thick the glass really was. She hoped it was as strong as the glass that had held him on the Enterprise.

"Maddy!"

She glanced around frantically to see Owen Gallagher in Starfleet uniform running towards her. He caught her before she could reach the handle of the door that would take her out of Khan's reach.

"Maddy, I'm so glad I found you! I heard you'd gotten a flat but no one will tell me where. How have you been?" As he spoke he reached out and took her arm, shaking her excitedly. She wrenched out of his grasp.

"I don't ever want to see you again, do you understand?" She glanced around at the few onlookers who'd caught onto their conversation. She hated being recognized in public like this.

"Can't we do lunch, figure this out?"

"Figure this out?" She felt her voice rising with her panic as she knew Khan could not be far away. "Owen, do you have idea what you've done to me? Please, I need to go." She made another grab for the handle.

Gallagher grabbed her arm again. "Come on Maddy! Surely you've moved on!"

"What seems to be the problem?"

Madelyn turned to see Khan striding towards them, his cowardly armed escort dutifully trailing after him. They must have had orders to withhold certain treatments unless provoked. Madelyn bit her lower lip and turned back to Gallagher. "Please, you should go."

She yanked herself free of the man's weak grasp and stepped towards the door as Khan came to a halt within arm's reach.

"Everything's fine," she insisted, putting a firm hand on Gallagher's shoulder, encouraging him to back away. "Owen was just leaving."

Gallagher's wide blue eyes jumped between her and Khan. "This man is dangerous, Maddy! What are you doing with him?"

She caught the dangerous glint in Khan's eyes, the sinews in his neck tightening, his jaw clenching. Her pulse quickened. "Owen, please, just go. I'll be fine."

To her dismay, Gallagher took a step forward, his nostrils flaring. "You're protecting him! You—you're trying to appease him!"

She put herself between the two men, feeling Khan's powerful hot breaths on the back of her head. "I'm trying to save you—"

"I was doing my job!" he insisted, his thin hands curling into fists. "I was serving the Federation!"

"Owen, please—"

Gallagher pushed her aside and swung his fist at Khan's jaw. Madelyn watched in horror as Khan caught the smaller man's offending limb, twisted it sharply, and flung his body against the glass wall. Gallagher collapsed to the floor with a groan. Khan easily dispatched the guards that aimed their phasers at him, but Madelyn was out the door before she saw their bodies crumpled on the floor. Alarms sounded throughout the building.

He was on her almost before she had time to react to the sound of shattering glass. He seized her by her upper arm and practically dragged her behind him across the plaza.

"You don't seriously think you can get away?"

"I will," he growled.

She believed him.

They ran into the shelter of an underground parking garage and Khan paused long enough for Madelyn to catch her breath. He pulled her behind him as he broke into the closest vehicle, a brand new hovercraft, then lifted the hatch and pushed her towards it.

"Get in."

"No."

"Get in!" he roared.

She pressed her lips together at the anger in his voice but held her ground. He towered over her. "You can't do this," she said.

"Madelyn." His tone was a warning. "Don't."

"I'll let them catch you," she said through clenched teeth. "I'll let them put you where you should have been all along."

He raised his hand and she flinched, expecting him to slap her. Instead he brushed a lock of hair from her eyes and gently slid his fingers behind her ear, his palm cupping her face. His thumb drifted over the scrapes in her cheek. They were almost completely healed.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

She felt Khan take her head in his hands, knocking her against something. Then everything went black.


	22. Chapter 22

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: What do I do when the power goes out during a terrible thunderstorm? I write until my laptop dies! Hope you all enjoy!**_

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO **

* * *

Khan Noonien Singh never acted without a reason.

His first act had gone as smoothly as it could have. His next act had been a step he'd hoped he wouldn't have to take.

He'd been careful not to injure her, but Madelyn had forced his hand. She'd surprised him a little by even bothering to stand up to him, but of course her effort ultimately served her no purpose. He wasn't going to let her willfulness destroy his carefully laid plans for not only his last chance at freedom, but also his last chance at revenge. While Starfleet was left to panic as he slipped through their fingers for the third time, he would begin by disposing of anyone still left who had tried to harm his family. After that, he would go after Commander Spock. Anyone who stood in his way would be fair game.

Khan had caught her newly unconscious body in his arms and placed it gently in the back seat of the stolen hovercar. The escape had been quick and easy, his vehicle blending in with the airborne mesh of San Francisco's afternoon rush hour traffic. Then the hour long drive to his designated safe house, an unoccupied hunting cabin in the hills with adequate supplies, had allowed him time to complete the first step of his next act. He'd stripped the vehicle's global positioning system, reworking it into a usable tablet, then inserted its miniscule tracking chip into a slip of glass containing a photo he'd been saving. It was a small thing, almost too sentimental for his liking, but it was a vital part of his plan, one he was depending on Madelyn to follow through on without her knowledge. He disliked the idea of going behind her back, but she'd left him with no choice. At this stage, he would simply have to act as though he wanted to control her. It would mean another period of separation, but it would lead him right to his first target.

Khan stood in the darkness of the cabin now, watching her chest rise and fall in steady breaths. She would wake soon. He resisted the urge to kneel over her, dip his fingers into her hair, whisper in her ear how lovely she was, kiss the sensitive skin over those delectable collarbones. The things he wanted to do to her filled him with an unmistakable lust. It wasn't just her hereditary augmentations that drew him in like they had in London. Hormones dripping from her pores, her body was practically screaming at him to have his way. It must have been at least five weeks by now. Their child would be growing quickly.

Her eyes fluttered open. He resisted his first impulse and waited for her to climb out of bed.

* * *

Madelyn woke up in the dark with a headache. She sat up slowly, feeling the back of her neck. It was slightly sore, but there was no injury she could feel. Her memory was fuzzy but Khan must have knocked her out after he'd escaped.

_Khan_.

She scrambled frantically to her feet. "Lights." The room gave no response. She felt her way to the wall, feeling for a switch or a button, but she had no success. She glanced around the room, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. She could see more than she thought and noticed Khan was standing merely feet away from her. She thought about slapping him, but he advanced into her space before she could do anything. She swallowed and stood her ground, staring up at him as he breathed on her.

"You kidnapped me." Her words were more an exclamation of shock than an angry statement. She was still getting over the fact that he'd slammed her head against something hard enough to knock her out.

"It was a necessary action," he replied in a low but clipped tone.

She needed to know if she meant anything to him still. She was skeptical of his actions so far. "But why even bother taking me with you when you could have gotten away just as easily without me?"

Her whole body tensed as Khan's hands slid around her waist. His mouth hovered over hers, but she pressed her lips together into a thin line.

"You're the mother of my unborn child," he said, his voice grazing over her skin, each consonant precise. "I would not let you be anywhere else."

Madelyn loved that voice. The way it sent goosebumps across her skin made her shiver slightly. She met his gaze in the dark and for one moment saw nothing but complete adoration in those gorgeous blue eyes. Khan's hands tightened and pulled her flush against him. His fingers gripped her so tightly she thought he'd bruise her. The moment was over.

She put her hands on his arms, pushing back against him enough to see his expression change. The muscles in his arms hardened as he exhaled in distaste and put his mouth on her neck. A sharp inhalation vocalized in her throat at this, and his teeth took her skin. She clenched her jaw and continued to struggle, determined not to fall for him this time. She felt his fingers slip underneath her shirt, gliding up her chest. His kisses made their way across her jaw, while his hands found her breasts. She gasped for air that he constantly stole without touching her mouth. She whispered his name, not in pleasure, but pleading with him to stop. To her utter surprise, he did.

She quickly slipped away from him, backing across the room, putting the bed between them. Her cheeks were hot despite herself. "I am not your possession," she said under her breath. The words were growing familiar on her tongue. She felt herself shattering under his piercing look.

"I can make you my possession," he intoned, each syllable dripping off his tongue.

She felt her fingers wrap themselves into a fist at her side. Was he threatening her? "You wouldn't dare harm me. I'm carrying your unborn child, remember?"

Khan leaped across the bed and backed her into the wall, pressing his hips against her. She gasped when she felt the bulge in his pants.

"I will never harm you," he breathed against her ear. "I will pleasure you until you scream. I will give you everything in the universe. You will be mine and only mine and no one else will touch you."

She hated the way he said it. Like she was his object to fuck whenever he pleased and carry his genetically superior children whether she wanted to or not. She swallowed as his fingers slid inside the top of her pants. He'd trapped her again.

Licking her lips, Madelyn reached up and took his chin in her hand. She planted her lips firmly against his, inhaling through her nose at their softness. She'd forgotten what it felt like to kiss this man. Before he could grab her hand and push the kiss further, she let him go.

Satisfied with her singular victory over him, she gazed up at him with eyes like arrows. "I'm tired, Khan."

He seemed to let out a breath, as though his lustful grip on her could be exhaled through his powerful lungs. His fingers hesitated, then slid carefully from her breasts, pausing only briefly over her belly. He took a step back from her, his eyes lingering on her as she pulled back the covers and climbed into the large bed. She turned her back to him and pulled the covers tightly around herself. His body sank into the mattress behind her, his arm draping around her waist as though it belonged there.

"Sleep well, Madelyn," he said softly, his warm breaths gracing her neck.

She leaned her head back against him, taking in his warmth. Her eyes had already fallen heavily shut.

* * *

When she woke again, the sun was shining through the windows. She scrunched her nose and stretched in the sheets. She'd slept well.

Noticing the lack of warmth beside her, she glanced over to see that Khan was gone. Feeling a confliction of loneliness and relief, she climbed quickly out of bed. Her boots and handbag were sitting on the floor by the bed. Strange that he'd provided them for her, as if he knew she wanted to leave. Staring at them for a moment, she called Khan's name to see if he was waiting for her in the other room. When there was no answer, she slipped into the boots and slid her bag over her shoulder. If she was alone, she wasn't going to take this chance for granted.

She headed towards the front door of the cabin, her eyes catching a glint of something on the side table nearby. It was a small slab of glass bearing a familiar photograph. She frowned as she stared at it. This photo, this particular photo, where had she seen it last?

It was a moving picture of her as a tiny ten year old, bouncing on her toes beside her grandfather. They were on his fishing boat. She was grinning madly while her long brown hair whipped around in the wind. Her grandfather waved at the photographer, and then the loop reset itself.

Suddenly she recalled sitting next to Khan on the white couch in her old house in England, before she'd known he was Khan. She remembered watching his eyes flit over a hard copy of the very same photograph, like he was recognizing something. And she remembered the comment she'd made: _God, I was so small. How did I manage never to break anything when I was a kid? My bones must have been so thin!_

He'd remembered too. He'd kept a copy of the photo, saved it for her, a strange sentimental thing for him to do… unless he'd known everything all along, who she was, who her mother was, who her grandfather was, what they all were. She'd tried desperately not to believe it, even when he'd told her face to face on the Enterprise.

She knew that somewhere in her genes there was a code that made her just like him, but only a fragment of one, watered down through the generations of her family. She knew this was why he'd sought her out. She knew this was how she was able to carry his child. She'd known all of this but had refused to accept it. She felt as though a fog was lifted from her eyes.

Khan had been right all along. As far as he knew, she was all he had left. And now he was asking her to trust him.

Furious that he had not even made his presence available that morning, she shoved the small photo into her jacket pocket and hurried out the door. She was getting as far away from California as her money would take her.

* * *

Khan watched closely as the flickering blue dot floated away from the vicinity of San Francisco on the small tablet between his fingers. Madelyn would probably try to leave the state, a move he'd already prejudged, but she would not get far. A quick hack into the public transportation system archives had revealed someone else was also tracking her.

He clenched his jaw. He would need to move quickly now. He felt a sliver of worry edge its way inside him. He'd known he was putting her at some risk by doing this. He was trusting in his own abilities to keep her safe and with no doubt he would make sure she was safe. He'd known this would happen. It was his desired outcome, a tenuous bargain he was willing to make, but only because he knew he would not lose her this time.


	23. Chapter 23

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know this one is shorter than the others, but I just felt it would be better not to cram so much into one chapter at this point in the story. As I've mentioned to some reviewers, this is the first draft. My mind is literally throwing this story at me day by day, and I will probably, no VERY LIKELY do a rewrite, and clear up some issues with the beginning of the story, including ridiculously short chapters and what not, as well as fix some minor issues with characterization. But right now my goal is to just finish this first draft._**

**_Also, I want to warn you if you're sensitive to sexually explicit language, there is a bit of it in this chapter, but that's why this story is rated M._**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

* * *

Madelyn's boots walked her swiftly through San Francisco's crowded train terminal. She swiped her identification in front of a scanner, essentially purchasing her ticket and giving her transportation clearance all at once. She planned to take the high-speed rail to New York, where she would catch the first flight to Mumbai. Her goal was to find a quiet village where her skills as an English teacher would be valued. She could live off the radar of both Starfleet, and Khan, and eventually raise her unborn child to be nothing like his father. Her hands hovered over her abdomen. She was nearly five weeks along now and doubted her decision to keep the child only when she considered that if Khan found her, there was no chance she'd be able to keep him away from her child once he or she was born. She couldn't imagine Khan raising a child to be a normally functioning person. No, she couldn't imagine him raising a child at all.

Which was why she had to get away from him. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, but she didn't want to be trapped in his clutches either, now that he was free. It was enough that he thought he could control her, and had shown her that by easily knocking her out.

She kept her head down as she boarded the train, sliding her only bag of belongings into a compartment above her head. As the train's magnetic thrusters sent it gliding out of the station, the subtle vibrations under her feet helped her relax. She watched San Francisco disappear with the scenery, slipping her hand inside her jacket pocket and fingering the edge of the slim glass photo. It was proof to her that Khan cared for her in some way that was only his own, but it wasn't enough to comfort her by any means. She knew he wouldn't let her get away so easily. He could easily simply into the public systems and discover her whereabouts. She wouldn't be in the clear until she was on the ground in Mumbai, and even then, she knew he would hunt her down. After all, she was all he had left.

She considered that once she arrived in Mumbai, she would have to find alternative means of transportation, ones that didn't involve showing her identification. Even after she'd planted herself deep enough into the Indian countryside, she would have to move again. All she had to do was stay off the grid.

She glanced up as the cabin's intercom chimed.

_"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I just want to inform you all that we'll be making a quick detour to Sacramento before continuing east to our final destination. I do apologize for this inconvenience."_

She thought nothing of it. In some way it was a respite. Perhaps it would send Khan looking in the wrong direction.

The train slid to a halt in the station. Madelyn shifted in her seat, anxious to get moving again. At the back end of the cabin she shared with a handful of other people, the door slid open and two armed men dressed in unmarked grey uniforms strode down the aisle. When their eyes landed on her, she barely had time to react. She was yanked up from her seat and her hands promptly cuffed.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

The two men firmly guided her down the aisle and out of the train. "We have orders to take you in."

She struggled against them. "Orders from who?" When they didn't respond, her mind whirled with possibilities. This couldn't have been Khan's doing. Too little time had passed since he'd escaped for him to be able to send armed men to do his bidding. But they couldn't be with Starfleet either. They bore no insignias on their uniforms. Madelyn received her answer as they arrived on the station floor. She was too in shock to fight back.

"Hello, Ms. McGivers. It's a pleasure to share your company again."

Dr. Hans Dahl smiled at her with closed lips.

"You have no right!" she screamed. Dahl smoothly transferred the contents of the syringe in his hand into her neck. Her last effort to break free was halted as the sedative soaked into her bloodstream.

* * *

The signal halted outside of Sacramento.

Khan ditched his vehicle and followed the flickering dot on his PADD up into the forested hills, until he was within ten meters of Madelyn. He crested the hill, expecting to come face to face with Dahl and the woman he felt such a strong connection with. But there were no buildings or structures in sight. He'd known something was off almost immediately as he scaled the hillside. He would have caught her scent before he saw her.

With rising fury, Khan realized he was much further from her than his PADD showed. He knew there were underground bases dotting the American landscape, old bunkers used during the Eugenics Wars by the resistance that eventually overthrew him and the other Augments.

He was standing on top of her.

The muscles in his neck and shoulders tensed as he realized that Dahl had outwitted him. No, he would not give the doctor even that much credit. He had lost mere minutes, barely enough time for Dahl to lay a finger on Madelyn. That cowardly human psychopath wouldn't have any fingers left to use when he was done with him.

Khan crunched the useless PADD into his fist and sprinted down the hillside, going for the most logical location for an entrance to a military bunker to be. He could already imagine taking the doctor's vulnerable throat in his hands and slowly squeezing the life from his pathetic body as he begged for mercy. The image made him run faster.

He reached the door of the bunker and ripped it from its rusted hinges. Every muscle in his body surged with anger. He had counted on reaching her far sooner, but these bunkers had corridors and halls that stretched for miles under the hills. He never should have used her like this.

Dahl would pay. Slowly.

* * *

Madelyn's eyes fluttered open. How many times could she be knocked out in a single day? Her first instinct was to glance down at her belly. She knew she wasn't injured, but what if the sedative had affected the baby?

Slowly, her vision refocused and she could take in her surroundings. The room she lay in was dark, save for a sliver of light coming from under the door. She was lying on her side on a thin mattress, her feet tied together and her hands still cuffed in front of her. The gag in her mouth tasted like dust.

She saw the shadows of footsteps coming towards the door and frantically pushed herself into a sitting position. The door slid open with a hiss and a pair of feet walked towards her. "Lights." The voice was strangely familiar. Madelyn almost didn't want to believe it.

The room shone with harsh fluorescents. She groaned at the temporary migraine that shot through her head, probably a side effect of the sedative that was slowly wearing off. She blinked her eyes rapidly to adjust to the room's brightness as the owner of the feet knelt in front of her. She thought she'd recognized the voice, but those bright blue eyes and curly blond locks were unmistakable.

Owen Gallagher smiled coolly as her eyes grew wide, but she was unable to verbalize her outrage until he carefully removed the gag from her face.

"What the fuck, Owen?! Why are you working with _him_?!"

He placed a firm hand over her mouth and rolled his eyes.

"Maddy, you'll make things a whole lot easier on yourself if you just calm down. Scream again and you'll wish you hadn't."

He slowly removed his hand. She stared at him in silent fury, wondering briefly if making more noise was worth the risk. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what he might do.

"Now, since you wanted to know, I'm here because Dr. Dahl offered me something I could not refuse. A chance to be twice the person I was before." She eyed him as he untied the cords wrapped tightly around her ankles. "I have to say, I feel like a brand new man."

Her eyes flicked over him. He didn't appear to be any different, but there was something burning in his eyes that made her quickly look away.

"What did he offer you?" she asked suspiciously. She yelped as Gallagher pulled her to her feet. She immediately disliked the way he smiled at her.

"Something that will make me a worthy opponent for Khan," he said. Then his smile faded. "He gave me one hell of a backache. I'd love to give him one in return."

Gallagher's grip on her arm made her hand tingle from the lack of proper blood flow. He took her out of the small room and down a cold white hallway. Madelyn found herself jogging to keep up with his pace. Something had definitely changed about him.

"Or maybe I'll just fuck you instead. That would be so much more pleasant, though probably not for you, especially when your beloved Khan finds out you touched another man's cock."

Shocked by his uncharacteristically vulgar attitude, she pulled against him, her eyes growing wide. "What's gotten into you?"

He smirked. "Augment blood, or at least a serum based off of it. I believe I have you to thank for that."

Madelyn felt her stomach churn in horror. Dahl must have taken enough of her blood on the Vengeance when she'd passed out. She knew that was how he'd escaped unharmed, but she never imagined he'd try it on someone else. He must have stolen the process that Bones created to heal Kirk, and formulated a stronger version of it. Then Gallagher had come along, and anxious to once again prove himself to her, he'd probably insisted on being the test subject, knowing she would fall right into his clutches with Dahl searching her out.

For the first time since the day she saw Khan crush Admiral Marcus' skull between his bare hands, Madelyn was terrified.


	24. Chapter 24

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: More bloody violence in this chapter, but like I said, it's rated M for a reason. Sorry it's shorter than average. It's just the way things are panning out right now. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave a review! **_

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

* * *

Madelyn's arm was still firmly clamped in Gallagher's abnormally strong grip as Dr. Dahl greeted them in a room at the end of the long white hallway. She took a moment to scan the room which was strewn with lab equipment and PADDs. Like the closet she'd found herself in when she woke, there were no windows. She wondered if they were on a ship, but the design of the walls and doors were old. It would make more sense for them to be underground. She realized with panic that they could literally be anywhere, and Khan would never be able to find her. A pang of guilt swept over her. She never should have run from him. At least he wouldn't hurt her the way Dahl was probably going to.

The doctor poured himself a drink, then offered her one. She refused by not responding.

"I apologize for the events of our last encounter," said Dahl, his smooth lilted accent dripping from his tongue. "I fear I may have gotten too excited about my work."

Madelyn clenched her teeth at the way his gaze scraped over her body.

"However, it appears you have healed up nicely. Your appearance in court was a surprise, to say the least."

"You can't lie to me. I know what you did," she hissed. She winced as Gallagher's fingers dug into her skin.

The Scandinavian allowed himself a cool smile and made a small dismissive motion with his hand. Gallagher's fingers slid from her skin and he promptly turned and left the room, the old doors sliding slowly shut after him. Madelyn watched him go, then turned to face Dahl, feeling more determined now that she was free to move as she wished. "What did you do to him?" she asked with free flowing anger.

Dahl took a sip of his drink, then smiled. "I am so glad you asked, Ms. McGivers, given your history with him." His other hand added expressiveness to his words. "I made him better. Similar to Mr. Singh, physically, but a little more," he paused, searching for a word, "pliant."

"You brainwashed him." Madelyn could hardly believe her ears.

"Not exactly. With hourly injections, he is able to remain twice as strong, as fast, and as intelligent as permanently genetically-enhanced Augment. But with a few adjustments to a specific genetic protein within the serum, I was also able to correct the flaw that my predecessors failed to foresee: a lack of submissiveness to the maker. So while he may carry the aggressive tendencies of an average Augment, they are counteracted as long as he is under my command."

She swallowed at the implication. So Dahl had control over Gallagher only because of proximity, and perhaps a threat of withheld injections. So what would happen if Dahl lost this control, due to Gallagher's eventual disgruntlement with the work, or unforeseen distance, or even his own death? She pushed the frightening implications out of her head. "So he's your new experiment." Her tone offered him a pinch of curiosity.

Dahl smiled more widely. "The first of hopefully many more to come. I have the funding, and now that I have you, there is nothing stopping me."

Madelyn opened her mouth, about to demand what he would do with her baby, until she realized he didn't know. She was hit with momentary relief that he'd said nothing to give her the impression he knew at least. But she worried on her lower lip. The minute he ran a blood test, he would notice her elevated hormones, and an ultrasound would provide him with concrete evidence. Her pulse quickened. She had to get away. There had to be a way to contact someone, just send out a signal even. Her eyes flitted across the room for anything, a communicator, a PADD she could tap into behind Dahl's back, some sort of connective device with which she could reach the outside world.

Her thoughts halted as Dahl finished his drink and began to walk toward her casually. She eyed him as he went on and on about his hopes for a world of peace, in which an army of obedient yet super-strong and super-intelligent soldiers would become the ultimate tool in the right hands.

_Or the wrong hands,_ thought Madelyn. Dahl's narrative reminded her of Admiral Marcus, calling for an inevitable war that would eventually lead to peace, an idea that didn't make any sense to her. If one wanted peace, at least this was an idea she'd played with as a graduate student, one needed to be aggressive and strong, but without threatening violence, as that would only enflame any opposing groups, effectively causing one to become what one was fighting. Dahl's words rang hollow like second-rate propaganda. Who had been feeding this man these ideas? Or better yet, who was funding him?

"Commander Owen Gallagher sought me out himself. I don't know how or why he found me, but he was a broken man. And in more ways than one after Mr. Singh dealt with him yesterday. I not only cured him, but I gave him a gift. Or, if you like, and I'm sure he's already mentioned this, _you_ gave him a gift."

"It's my blood. You can't just take it."

Dahl stopped in his tracks, pressing his face close to hers. She withheld a flinch. "Now that is where you are dead wrong. 'Your blood,' as you call it, is in fact not completely yours, but rather the result of albeit unfortunate uncontrolled mixing. Patented Augment material tainted with, shall we say average human genes? You are a manufactured product, a synthetic design, not a perfect one, and certainly not a first generation Augment, but your cells prove what you are not. You are not average, Ms. McGivers."

"What about Khan? Why don't you just take his blood? He's a first generation Augment."

Dahl smirked. "Do you seriously believe I would put up with that monster they call the Augmented Tyrant? I'm not stupid, and I'm certainly not willing to put my life at risk if I don't have to."

She lifted her chin until her breaths fell on his mouth. "Then you should be very afraid right now, doctor. He's coming for me." The words felt bitter on her tongue. He probably had no idea where she was, but the hesitation that crossed Dahl's face was enough to make her satisfied. His jaw clenched and he turned from her, pacing to his desk. Madelyn took a steady breath. She had to stall him from whatever he had planned. "Khan heard everything I said in court. He knows what you did to me. When he gets here, he'll find you and he will snap your neck." She swallowed. If only it were true.

Dahl turned to face her again, a new look in his eye. "Oh, Ms. McGivers. Your threats will do you no good. Do you realize I could strap you down and drain your body of its life source, bottle it up, and store it away? I don't need you. I only need your blood."

A sudden thought seized her and she could hardly believe she was saying it out loud. "What if I told you it wasn't just _my_ blood you were stealing? That you were killing something growing inside me. Wouldn't you want to keep me alive then?"

It took the doctor only a moment for the realization to set in. She was disgusted by the interest that burned in his eyes. He advanced towards her and she bumped into the edge of a table, pushing it against the wall. She clenched her jaw as his fingers drifted over her belly. The way she was leaning back away from him caused her to show just slightly. His palm pressed to her stomach, and she withheld the urge to smash her handcuffs into his face. Augmented babies must have grown faster than average human ones did, but she hadn't even considered that until now, now that Dahl knew she had one growing inside of her.

"The plans I could have for this child," he said under his breath. "What a magnificent opportunity you have given me, Madelyn. Perhaps I will delay my experiment until you are ready—"

Whether it was because he'd used her first name in a very personal way, or because his fingers still drifted across her body, Madelyn snapped. Her nervousness turned to fear which boiled into rage, and instead of letting it simmer beneath the surface, she let it out. The metal cuffs around her wrists ripped a chunk of flesh from Dahl's face, briefly causing blood to spurt onto them both. Ignoring the sense of horror it caused in her, she brought her knee up into his crotch and sank her fists into his stomach. It was enough to make him keel over as he held his face in agony. Madelyn tore her gaze from him as she processed what she'd just done, and ran across the room. With shaking fingers, she managed to get the door open, just as she heard Dahl sputtering deliriously into his newly brandished communicator.

"Gallagher, stop her."


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

* * *

Adrenaline coursing through her limbs, Madelyn tore down the long white hall that led away from Dahl. She didn't know where she'd go, all she knew was she had to get away from him. An alarm sounded and every open door in front of her began to slide shut, its keypad light turning red. Panicking, she flung herself through the closest doorway, barely missing being caught between its firmly closing panels. The corridor she found herself in was older, with bare concrete floors and walls, and metal air ducts lining the ceilings. She briefly took it in before sprinting down it, the floor catching her bare feet like sandpaper. She had a faint sense that someone wasn't far behind her.

She came to a fork in the corridor, and was forced to decide to go left or right. She had no idea which way to choose but she wasn't about to stop and turn around. Taking a chance, she went right, hoping to see some sign of a way out. She went around another corner and felt her heart drop in her chest. It was a dead end. She tried the door there but it was locked. She'd have to make a run for it down the other hallway.

She ran back around the way she'd come. When she got to the intersection of hallways again, Owen Gallagher appeared out of the main corridor, blocking her escape. Her running strides slowed to a halt. He held his arms out, shrugging a little. "Sorry, Maddy. I told you it would be easier if you just cooperated."

She felt herself backing away but he advanced faster. He reached down to grab her wrists, but she swung her cuffed hands up and caught him in the jaw. The action hurt her as much as it did him and she immediately regretted it.

His eyes grew wide with fury as she attempted to scoot around him but he was too fast. He seized her by her shirt and flung her against the wall. Her head collided with exposed metal piping and her vision clouded. She came to her senses just in time to see Gallagher curl his hands into fists and pummel them into her stomach.

The air was forced from her lungs and she dropped to her knees in agony. She clutched her belly, as though that would keep the baby safe, barely managing to glare up at Gallagher as he towered over her.

"Stupid bitch," he muttered. He reached down and slapped her. Not daring to look at him again, Madelyn felt him pick her up by her shoulder and wrap his arm around her torso. Breathing laboriously under his intensifying grip, she felt a slight pain creep into her pelvic region.

She thought about kicking him, everywhere, in any way that she could, or maybe when he loosened his grip she could reach back and poke her fingers into his eyes, disorienting him, or make a well-placed swing with her cuffs, recalling what they'd done to Dahl. And if Gallagher released her completely, a kick to any number of places could cause him to fall face first onto the rough concrete, or at least trip him up and slow him down. But she was too afraid to act on her impulses. Whatever Dahl had put into Gallagher's system had not only strengthened him to Khan's level of capability, but had caused him to have no qualms about hitting her. She swallowed as another needle of pain inched its way through her belly, spreading briefly into her legs. The small of her back felt as though someone was sitting on it.

A burning sensation ripped through her pelvis suddenly and she gasped. Gallagher's arm tightened around her, making it harder to breathe. She clenched her teeth to withhold her reaction as another wave of pain hit her. It spread through her stomach and legs and tears stung her eyes. This couldn't be happening to her, not now. Not here.

She crumpled to the floor in Dahl's office, clutching herself, willing the pain away. Dahl and Gallagher stood over her, the former giving frantic orders through a communicator in his native language. There was a pause, in which Madelyn almost straightened herself and began to stand, until she was stabbed in the gut. At least it felt that way. She clenched her jaw, breathing rapidly through her nose, as she vaguely heard Dahl confronting Gallagher angrily. She realized Gallagher hadn't known she was pregnant.

"Now get out of my sight and stay far away from Khan," Dahl was saying as he lifted Madelyn from the floor. "I don't want to risk losing my only asset."

_Risk losing… what?_ Madelyn had trouble piecing together a coherent thought as the pain in her belly intensified. She felt like she was burning from the inside out.

"I should have been more clear I suppose," the doctor muttered, pressing a hand to her stomach. Madelyn grimaced. "So much for my original idea. I suppose you're still useful to me in some fashion."

She hissed in pain as he pulled her back against him, his hand sliding around her throat until he held her jaw in his fingers. Just then, Khan appeared in the doorway.

* * *

When he first recognized the panic glimmering in Madelyn's eyes, Khan considered crossing the room to eliminate Dahl right then. But the doctor wasn't stupid. He'd slid a scalpel from the pocket of his lab coat and his shaking hand was holding it dangerously close to her throat, while his other hand cupped her jaw, baring the tender skin he was threatening to slice open. One cut right over her jugular would bleed her out faster than she would be able to heal. Anger surged through Khan like electricity as for the second time in less than a year, the life of someone he loved was being casually held over a precipice by a monster.

He couldn't help but feel a slight indulgence at the state of Dahl's face however. He noted the bits of flesh and blood clinging to Madelyn's handcuffs, the red spattered across both her face and shirt and the doctor's. She was proving herself to be a fighter, but the expression on her face reminded him she wasn't as strong as he was, and by the way she was breathing, Khan sensed something more was wrong. But first, he had to get that scalpel off her neck.

"Let her go and perhaps I'll give you quick death, doctor."

Khan did not intend to mitigate Dahl his future suffering, but an offer needed to be presented to give the doctor a sliver of something else to latch onto besides Madelyn's neck. A trail of salty liquid dripped from the corner of her eye as her body tensed. She was swallowing through pain, he realized. It took everything within him to remain where he was. One threatening step could mean the end of her life. Khan felt his lips twitch as Dahl smiled glibly at him.

"I don't think you want to do that, Mr. Singh, if you want Ms. McGivers to make it through the next hour of her life."

The rage inside him made his fingers slowly curl into fists. "What did you do to her?"

Dahl sighed and momentarily slacked his grip on the scalpel before repositioning it against her skin. "I did nothing, except perhaps make a bad judgment call with one of my men. But now your… girlfriend? I believe she means something to you or you would not be here—is miscarrying. I expect she will be losing lots of blood internally, and the dead fetus will need to come out or she'll go into shock. You are not a doctor, are you Mr. Singh?"

This news was shocking, grating to him, and he knew he had no choice but to let Dahl live for the time being. He saw the unbearable look on her face, the tension in her body, the way she was breathing as though Dahl was choking the life from her though his fingers merely gripped her jaw. Her body was aborting their child; or perhaps someone had sparked the process, Khan considered furiously. It was something that he'd witnessed several times in the past, when he first lived as a lab rat alongside other Augments under the scrutiny of their creators.

The excruciatingly painful and potentially deadly ordeal of miscarriage at this stage in an Augment pregnancy was one that his creators had studied thoroughly some three hundred years in the past. There were theories that addressed manipulated chromosomes and the miniscule abnormalities that could be present within them, whether there were one too many copies of a certain gene, or whether it was the factor of the actual manipulation of the chromosome itself. Regardless of their cause, in the initial stages of testing, the number of recorded Augment miscarriages went sky high. It had gotten so bad that eventually the scientists in charge of those studies decided it would be better to create new generations of Augments using artificial means. But since the Federation had banned all known genetic manipulation and embryonic research after the Eugenics Wars, those studies had been halted and those theories never tested.

Despite knowing what was happening to Madelyn's body, Khan had never felt so personally unnerved by the process as he did now. And yet there was something in the doctor's words that made him suspect there was more to it. "A bad judgment call" with one of his men? That could've meant she'd put up so much of a fight that Dahl couldn't handle her on his own, and given the state of the doctor's face, Khan found that pleasant scenario very likely. But his slight pride with Madelyn's determination to survive was replaced with ire as he desired fiercely to hunt the man down who had foolishly chosen to assault her. He knew Dahl couldn't be the one responsible; he would have wanted the child for his own twisted experiments. Now that there was no child, Dahl was using Madelyn to save himself. As disconcertion and anger vibrated inside him, Khan couldn't help but make one small step towards them.

"I said I don't think you want to do that," Dahl repeated, his voice laced with panic, his fingers gripping the scalpel. Khan held his smile inside. It didn't take much to rattle the doctor.

"Can you save her?" It was more of a command than a question.

Dahl nodded.

"Good, because if you don't, I will end you in the most painful way you can imagine."

Khan only said it to spur the doctor into action. In the end, he would probably just snap Dahl's neck and be done with it. He cared more for Madelyn's welfare, and finding out who was responsible for murdering his unborn child than for wasting precious time on a man he viewed as less than human.

Khan narrowed his eyes at the doctor and the scalpel dropped to the floor. Dahl released his grip on her neck and Khan strode towards them just in time to stop Madelyn from crumbling to the floor in agony. He tenderly scooped her into his arms, then turned his gaze to Dahl, whose quick hands were preparing an anesthetic. Madelyn clutched at his shirt with shaking hands, her fingernails scraping through the synthetic fabric. The doctor motioned to the medical bed on the other side of the room and Khan gently laid her there. He noted the blood that was soaking through her pants as he made quick work of her cuffs, breaking the locking mechanisms and tossing them away. She cried out in agony as a contraction shook her, and he briefly wondered if she was still coherent. He watched Dahl like a hawk as the anesthetic was administered and he began to prepare for the procedure.

Khan's attention was distracted briefly when he felt a shaky hand brush his arm. Madelyn's tear-filled eyes fluttered open and a hint of recognition flashed across them before the anesthetic could take over completely. Her skin was pallid and her dry lips faintly parted. He pressed a hand to her face, drinking in the look she gave him. She was too weak to form words so he leaned down and whispered in her ear. There was no lingering scent of hormones, only sweat and blood.

He barely backed away to give the doctor room, feeling his anger rise again when her shirt was pushed back to reveal a blue and black hematoma on her abdomen. His suspicions that she'd been attacked were confirmed. Khan had forgotten she was much more human than he'd led himself to believe. He'd never seen her look so frail.

But what she was didn't matter anymore. He loved her. She was everything he had left and someone had foolishly tried to take that away. He eyed Dahl as the doctor set to work. He may not have been directly responsible for Madelyn's current situation, but the damage he had caused her in the past was more than enough to give Khan an excuse to end him.

After he was sure she would survive, he would take the doctor's throat in his bare hands and slowly crush it.


	26. Chapter 26

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: You guys have no idea how happy I am to see that my story is actually being read! It hit 200 followers today and I literally cannot believe it. I certainly wasn't expecting it. So thank you so much for all of your reviews! My writing is having its desired effect ;D**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

* * *

Madelyn woke slowly, curled up on her side. A chill hit her bare legs and she pulled the sheets more tightly around herself. She breathed lightly, but the hollow sensation in her stomach wouldn't let her go back to sleep.

Slowly, she cracked her eyes open and glanced around without moving her head. The room was dimly lit from above, small and plain, no windows, nothing on the walls, no sign of anything recognizable, save for that familiar slip of glass. She reached across the bed and slid the photo from the bedside table, pulling it into her fingers. Her grandfather waved over and over again from behind his transparent wall as her ten year old hair whipped in a silent breeze beside him. Holding the photo against her chest, she took a deep breath and stretched her legs out underneath the sheets. A familiar tension shot through her and she groaned.

Her hand drifted to her abdomen, as though she could tell the difference. Her insides were too uncomfortable for her to turn over or move much without wincing. Regardless, she sat up, groaning at the nausea that overtook her. Her head spun slightly. She leaned over and dipped her head into her hands until the nausea passed, wondereing how things would have gone if she'd made it to New York on that train. She'd be on her flight to Mumbai by now, Dahl and Khan and Gallagher left far behind.

Khan had come for her. Gallagher had attacked her. Dahl had tried to keep a hand on her and the baby. She recalled him wanting to take her blood, all of her blood. She'd changed his mind by revealing her pregnancy, but now that didn't matter. Another wave of dizziness hit her. She felt her throat constrict and when tears threaten to escape her eyes she blinked them rapidly away and straightened. She cringed when she caught the scent of blood and sweat that clung to her.

Gingerly, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, pulling back the sheets to reveal dried blood on the inside of her thighs. She chose not to linger on it and carefully pressed her feet to the floor. Pushing herself from the bed with determined arms, the discomfort inside her worsened immediately. She stood there in her shirt and underwear, hands on her waist, breathing through her nose, focusing on ignoring the pain and keeping herself from passing out. She wondered how much blood she'd lost. The room floated around her like a bad dream.

Keeping a hand on the wall, she walked around the edge of the small room until she made it to the bathroom. Pausing, she noticed her jacket had been placed on the other side of the bed alongside a small pile of neatly folded clothing that didn't belong to her, including what appeared to be a black cotton t-shirt and an even older pair of dark blue skinny jeans, something people hardly wore anymore thanks to custom synthetic manufacturing. Khan must have found them somewhere in that bunker, which, before Gallagher punched her in the gut, she'd decided must have been some sort of old military facility.

As she stripped out of her filthy clothing and climbed carefully into the shower, she almost smiled at the thought that Khan had even bothered to find her fresh clothes.

The water that sprayed into her face was warm, so she turned the old-fashioned dial until it scalded her. She wanted it that way. It eased the tension inside her and helped her breathe easier. She pulled an old bottle of liquid soap from the shelf, briefly leaning against the wall as dizziness struck her. She wasn't about to let herself collapse in the shower.

Recovering after a moment of uncertainty as to whether she'd be able to continue standing, she poured some soap into her palm. There was no scrubby or washcloth, so her hands would have to do. The blood between her thighs washed easily away under the pounding hot spray, as did the spatter on her chest and face. An image of Dr. Dahl's face tearing open under her handcuffs snapped through her mind and she washed it away by facing the showerhead and letting the searing hot spray thump against her lidded eyes.

She stood there for what felt like an hour, long after the soothing jets had washed away the lather, the blood and grime now long gone from her skin. She pressed her pruning hands to her stomach, staring at the skin that was flat underneath her palms. Standing face down under the shower as hot water dripped down her face and hair and into her eyes, she knew what had happened.

She breathed in the steam that filled the room, noting how pruned her hands were. Finally turning off the water, she quickly grabbed the only towel from a nearby shelf and wrapped it around herself, shielding her damp skin from the rush of cool air that met her outside the bathroom. Feeling lightheaded again, she leaned back against the wall. Tears stung her eyes, her throat constricting as she clenched them shut. She didn't think it would hurt her this much.

The door slid open and Madelyn glanced over to see Khan's silhouette in the light of the hallway. In one swift motion he was beside her, his hands enveloping her face and neck. The warmth that emanated from him made her shut her eyes again.

"How are you feeling?"

His voice was low and so gentle, she opened her eyes again to make sure it was really him. The way he looked at her was so comforting, it was almost an odd expression to see on a face she was so used to being unreadable, or filled with rage.

"The baby," she whispered. She couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

His fingers pressed into the nape of her neck as multiple emotions flashed undisguised across his face. She didn't need to hear it from his mouth to know. Clenching her jaw as emotion welled in her throat, she leaned into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner," he murmured.

His soft voice rumbling in his chest, his hands cradling her head, his warm breath on her damp skin, he overwhelmed her. A sob slipped from her throat and she reached around his shoulders, wanting him as close to her as possible. His hands slid down her sides and rested on her back, pulling her to him. Madelyn shuddered through another sob, burying her face in his shirt. Every imagination of the child she'd hoped to raise one day was shattered, every name she'd played with in her mind now a broken string of meaningless letters.

She'd lost everything all over again. Only Khan was left.

Madelyn was latched onto him for several minutes until she had calmed herself enough to stop shaking, her sobs waning to teary snivels. She was conscious that she was only wearing a towel, her hair dripping down her bare back. Inside, she felt only sore and empty.

Khan raised a hand from her waist and lifted her chin up so she could look up at him, his eyes raking over her face. She knew her eyes were puffy and red, her lower lip trembling slightly. Without hesitation, he pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth, dragging them slowly across her face. Madelyn let her eyes flutter shut as his hot breathy kisses lingered over her damp skin, his hands sliding up her back. He tugged at her towel.

"Khan," she murmured.

He grunted in response, his teeth nibbling her ear, his hands pulling the towel from around her. She reached down and stopped him.

"I can't," she whispered, her eyes settling on his shirt collar, afraid he wouldn't let her take control. "It'll hurt too much," she added, hoping he'd understand.

His hands paused and she pulled the towel back up around her, meeting his gaze. There was no enmity or skepticism in the expression she received, only warmth.

"Of course."

He sounded as though he hadn't even considered the fact that her body would need time to heal, and she had trouble believing he would so easily back away from his ministrations. She stood there watching him as he went over to the bed and picked up the pile of folded clothing laying there.

"These looked your size," he said, handing them to her.

Madelyn took them gratefully and backed into the bathroom, sliding the door shut and holding his gaze until she couldn't see him anymore. She couldn't help but smile a little at his behavior, which she found slightly strange and unfamiliar and yet completely divergent and absolutely attractive. She'd have thought he'd at least be angry that she no longer carried his child, but instead he had held her firmly and had actually made it clear he wanted to have sex with her right then. She would have acquiesced if it weren't for the pain she felt with each slight movement. Bending over to pull on the jeans was the hardest, but she managed to grit her teeth and finish dressing. She looked herself over in the mirror, adjusting the way the black t-shirt draped over her slight figure. It was the most comfortable thing she'd ever worn and it wasn't even synthetic. The jeans were soft and moved easily with her body, and she wondered why they weren't in fashion anymore. She looked at her face more closely and saw someone else standing there, with worn eyes and tired lips. She pulled her hair into a loose bun and quickly tore her gaze from the mirror.

Khan was sitting silently on the edge of the bed when she came out. He watched her closely and she realized he could probably read the question in her mind all over her face.

"Where's Dahl?" she asked quietly. She worried on her lower lip as she waited for him to respond.

His jaw visibly clenched and she thought she caught a muscle twitch in his neck. He met her gaze firmly, tilting his chin downwards to match his tone. "He's been… dealt with. You wouldn't want to see."

She pressed her lips together in a firm line, frustrated that he would believe that, and went over to him, standing between his legs and taking his head in her hands so he looked up at her.

"No, I want to see."

She let her gaze bore into his. She didn't just want to see. She _needed_ to see. It was the next best thing to doing it herself.

Without a word, Khan stood from the bed and took her hand in his own, intertwining their fingers. Then he led her out of the room and out into the corridor.

* * *

In a dark closet at the other end of the maze of hallways that ran underneath the northern California hills, former Starfleet Commander Owen Gallagher huddled in front of an ancient glowing monitor, flicking through screen after screen of live security camera footage.

His fingers paused over the touch screen when he found what he was looking for: the tall, black-haired figure of Khan Noonien Singh, and the woman who walked close beside him. Gallagher realized Madelyn was holding the Augment's hand and felt his nostrils flare.

He watched the pair walk down a corridor and disappear out of the camera's view, so he flipped through the live footage again until he found them. He watched closely as Khan typed in a code to unlock a door that allowed them inside the adjacent room. The next screen revealed Dahl's location, but Gallagher didn't care about the doctor, only what was going to happen to him.

Dahl lay in the middle of the room, his arms restrained behind his back. The wound in his face had been made worse, so much so that there appeared to be a small puddle of blood directly underneath his head. His collarbones had been broken and protruded from his chest, and both of his legs were disjointed and bent in the wrong direction. What other injuries the Augmented Tyrant had surely inflicted on the man, Gallagher wasn't sure he cared to know.

Dahl made panicked movements when Khan and Madelyn entered the room. Gallagher watched closely as Madelyn hung back to the side while Khan stood over Dahl's helpless form and pulled the man up by his neck, the doctor's face twisting in agony and terror. Khan looked over towards Madelyn, saying something but Gallagher couldn't read his lips. Madelyn responded, crossing her arms tightly across her chest, her eyes glued to the doctor despite the way she turned her head away.

The Augment stood with his back to the camera, but had clearly taken Dahl's head in his hands. He made a forceful twisting motion and Gallagher saw Madelyn flinch. Her eyes were wide but didn't leave the doctor's body as Khan let it dropped limply to the floor. Gallagher could see now that Dahl's neck was bent unnaturally and his head faced the wrong direction.

Gallagher leaned back in his chair, nodding to himself slowly, his fingers dancing on his lips. He rubbed his temple as the first wave of an oncoming headache approached.

After curiously watching the pair for another moment, he stood up and went over to the wall of shelves behind him, pulling down a small metal box. He pulled a syringe from inside it and quickly stabbed it into his arm, exhaling with relief as the dark reddish-brown contents filled his veins. Feeling a renewed sense of strength, he turned and swung his fist into the glowing monitor with a grunt. His anger momentarily satiated, he surveyed the damage. His hand was unharmed, but the glass screen had shattered and its metal casing warped. He shrugged and cleared it from the desk. He could get another monitor down the hall.

He couldn't get another Madelyn.


	27. Chapter 27

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So this chapter contains a bit of, erm, the reason for the M rating ;D Enjoy! And don't forget to leave a review x]**_

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

* * *

The first thing Khan did after finally killing Dahl was dispose of his body. He burned it in an incinerator located on the upper level of the facility, making sure no trace of him was left for those who might come looking for any of them in the future. After he'd brushed the ashes from his hands, he sought out the location of the central storage room he was sure would provide both he and Madelyn with enough supplies to survive underground indefinitely. Although he did not intend for them to live in these bunkers for long, it was a viable option if his plan to secure a space vessel proved to be a failure, or simply became unworthy of the risk. There was also a sizeable weapons cache of which he took note, mostly consisting of dated arms that required solid ammunition rather than energy. Khan appreciated this, knowing these weapons carried an inherent reliability in their bullets and he didn't have to worry about his targets resisting a useless stun setting, as he was well aware could be done. Still he decided to begin work on a phaser, considering that sometimes it was better to stun and take captive someone who could provide him with information should the situation called for it. Khan was never one to be left unaware of anything.

He'd considered involving Madelyn in his plan to procure a ship but quickly realized he could not and never would again put her into a situation that could potentially lead her to harm. He cursed himself the moment he thought it was a good idea to use her to find Dahl, but he was still waiting for an answer as to who was actually responsible for her miscarriage. She had yet to say anything about it, and the look in her eye when he brought it up that evening told him she wasn't ready to even consider talking about it. All he knew for sure was that once he found the one responsible, he would inflict the absolute maximum amount of suffering onto him or her without hesitation.

The rest of the afternoon, Khan spent scouring as much of the base as he could for any surviving guards. Whoever Dahl had working for him, they were not Starfleet. Federation soldiers maybe, private security much more likely.

Khan snapped more than a few necks that day. He confiscated communications equipment that could potentially alert the outside world to his location, although he had a sense that no one who gave two shits within Starfleet had even bothered to keep tabs on the good doctor. They were all more worried about Khan. The Augment couldn't help but smile at the way things had turned out so far, but however free he felt of Starfleet, he knew that until he was outside the grasp of the Federation, he would never be truly free. His escape from the city had been far too easy, and he often wondered why that was.

He made a recon trip out of the bunker that night, but without Madelyn's knowledge. He needed to be somewhere high up, where he could use his makeshift sensors to pick up transmissions. Intercepting satellite communications in the 20th century had been one thing, but attempting to weed through these new electronic interferences that humanity called "progress" was another chore entirely. Thankfully, during his time slaving under Marcus, he'd managed to pick up a few hints from various sources that allowed him to piece together exactly how these communications traveled from one place to another, and as a result he had designed his own device that could be hooked into a PADD that allowed him to tap into them without being detected. What he discovered was surprising.

Starfleet, having been forced to reassemble itself after he crashed the Vengeance into its headquarters, was more focused on damage control than on actually finding him. It appeared someone high up preferred not to touch on the fact that they had let Khan Noonien Singh, a "psychopathic terrorist" and "genocidal former dictator," slip through their fingers once more, opting instead to continue referencing the vague idea that the fugitive was being tracked and that no one was in danger so long as that was the case.

The bald faced lies being presented as truth by the governing authorities was something that made Khan simply shake his head. No matter their technological advancements, at its core humanity would never ultimately change. It didn't matter that he had tried to change them some three hundred years ago; Khan decided a people would not change themselves if they didn't recognize they needed to change. That was where he and his fellow ruling Augments had erred.

Continuing to monitor global communications, his eyes alighted on something he did not expect. Someone was looking for Madelyn. Immediately suspecting malintent, he took a closer look at the encrypted communication, and realized that may not have been the case. A furious conversation between Dr. Leonard McCoy and Captain James T. Kirk, with the occasional dull comment from Commander Spock, they clearly believed Madelyn was in danger and needed to be found as soon as possible. Kirk was ready to make moves outside of Starfleet regulation, and Spock was advising him against it, while McCoy was just frustrated that the security which Khan had so easily dispatched hadn't even made an attempt to be useful. Khan narrowed his eyes, rolling these things over in his head. The ease with which he'd escaped, the lack of an apparent manhunt for his head. Something definitely wasn't adding up.

But despite the media storm surrounding her during his trial, Madelyn obviously still had friends in San Francisco. This should have come as no surprise to him. Of course she'd formed relationships with these people while he'd been up for trial, needing someone to speak with, to process the changes that occurred for her. No doubt Dr. McCoy had been the one to oversee her recovery from the Vengeance crash. Khan felt a slight tinge of jealousy that he hadn't been able to be there, that McCoy had been the first one Madelyn saw when she came to. But then he should have expected her reaction the next time they saw each other, separated by a glass wall in a familiar scenario that offered nothing to be desired. All she'd seen in him then was a murderer and a liar and he was surprised she'd decided to come around so quickly by now.

But still, the idea that someone in Starfleet thought she was in danger, possibly being held "hostage" by him according to the correspondences his eyes flitted over, it was all too disconcerting. He could let her contact them, to tell them she was alright, but that could lead them right to him and ultimately sever any contact with her for good. No, he would have to keep her in the dark for now. He needed to finish what he'd started. There were only two people left in the world he felt were worth killing now: the person responsible for Madelyn's miscarriage, and Commander Spock.

* * *

Khan returned to the bunker and showered, then climbed quietly into bed beside Madelyn. She didn't stir, but snuggled against him. He knew he was the only thing holding her together right now. Her strength was returning rapidly but the ordeal had taken a considerable emotional toll on her and she'd made a few quiet hints at her physical discomfort. Khan had noted the metallic scent of blood on more than one occasion throughout the day, but she said nothing about it and he preferred her not to feel forced to speak about something she was uncomfortable with. More than once he saw tears in her eyes but she quickly dashed them away before he could respond or wipe them away himself.

That night and the night before, she'd fallen asleep early, barely crawling under the covers and not even bothering to remove her jeans. Though Khan didn't need more than four or five hours of sleep a night, he felt compelled to stay close to her. He recalled how much he loved to watch her sleep.

In London, when Madelyn knew him only as John Harrison, and before his plans for revenge against Marcus had transpired, there were several moments he had truly come to prize, though he would never tell her so. One of them had been the night before he left, as she slept naked in his tight grasp, her tangled hair spread over the pillow, her lips parted and pressed softly against his shoulder. He knew he'd be leaving her and didn't know if he'd see her again, so he had seared that image into his head.

Khan wondered briefly if she would be open to such intimate contact with him in the near future. Given the actions she had witnessed him take onboard the Vengeance, it wasn't difficult for him to imagine why she'd taken so long to warm up to him again. Any young woman like her, not prone to violence or driven by a need for revenge, would be repulsed by his actions, even when they were ultimately meant for the good of his crew. He regretted that he'd been forced to act in front of her, but simultaneously he knew that had he not acted, neither of them would be where they were now, and Admiral Marcus would still be breathing.

Returning his mind to the present, Khan silently watched her chest rise and fall, listening to her soft easy breaths. He refrained from touching her though he wanted to for his own selfish inclinations. He was a master at exercising self-control and this situation would be no different from any other. Her body needed the absolute maximum amount of rest in order to repair itself quickly.

Her face was still and untroubled, as though she slept oblivious to the ordeal she'd survived over the last twenty-four hours. Khan hoped so, that her dreams were not marred by the shadow of Hans Dahl's now terminated disgusting existence. And when she woke up, he wanted his face to be the first thing she saw.

He lay there for three hours, his mind going over everything that had happened, everything that could happen, everything he wanted to happen and how he would make it happen. When Madelyn stirred, he halted these thoughts and stored them away for the future, watching as her grey eyes fluttered open and landed on his face.

She didn't say anything even as she stared at him in the dim light. He saw the faint smile creep across her lips, and then she slid a hand around his head, her fingers combing through his hair. Khan could barely handle the way she touched him so softly.

He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He loved the way she responded. She breathed into his mouth and kissed him back, her fingers pressing into his scalp. He slid his hands into her hair, drawing himself up over her body, carefully trapping her beneath him. This made her kisses escalate, soft lips pressing against his open mouth and down his neck. He responded in kind by sucking on the skin behind her ear. She moaned softly, her fingers slipping underneath his shirt and drifting over his back. He decided he needed that damn shirt off.

He tore the fabric over his shoulders and tossed it across the room. He wanted to feel her hands on his skin. He kissed down her neck, his fingers peeling aside her shirt so he could reach her collarbones. He loved those collarbones, their slight convexity, the way the skin was so delicate there, sensitive and perfect for eliciting noises from her mouth. He bared her shoulder and attacked it with his mouth, his hands drifting down her waist, pushing the rest of her shirt from her stomach.

Wriggling underneath him, Madelyn managed to get her shirt over her head, her chest rising and falling now with vigorous breaths. Khan grinned against her skin, sliding his hands down her sides and around her back. She tangled her fingers in his hair again as he bit down on her neck, firmly enough to leave a mark but not to hurt her. She gasped then let out a breathy snigger, returning the favor to his lips before he tore them away.

He made a trail of nibbles and bites down her body, lingering over her breasts, meandering down her stomach, his hands leading the way. He knew she wouldn't be ready or comfortable enough to take him inside her, but that didn't mean he couldn't make her come. She seemed to know what he was up to and pulled her fingers from his hair to undo her jeans. He helped her slide them off and tossed them behind him.

Her abdominal muscles tightened as he kissed circles around her navel then nibbled over her hips, his hair coming loose over his eyes from her fingers' ministrations in his scalp. He pulled her thighs apart gently, holding them firmly so she wouldn't squirm, then glanced up to see the desperation in her eyes. Smirking, he lowered his face, breathing her in. The scent made him groan.

He sank his teeth into the soaked fabric of her panties. The sound she made caused him to chuckle deep in his throat. He used his teeth to rip the offending barrier away and devoured her in his lips. She moaned, pulling at his scalp. The action caused him to flinch. He had sensitive follicles apparently. Eager to get that reaction out of her again, he slid his tongue along her folds, swirling it around her, dipping it inside her. He glanced up again. She was staring at him, her mouth open, almost smiling, and her eyes heavily lidded. But he could read everything on that face, and knew instantly how she felt about him.

He smiled devilishly before dipping his head down between her legs again. He wanted to hear more of those noises.

* * *

Having locked himself inside the security camera room, Owen Gallagher made himself rather comfortable for the next few days, eating salvaged MREs that Khan had not claimed, drinking from the makeshift basin he'd formed by carefully twisting water pipes down from the ceiling. He'd taken everything into consideration for himself, including how to keep Khan from realizing he was even still on the base to begin with. He had the view of a fly-on-the-wall in almost every single room, and luckily for him, the people who'd designed the camera system had positioned each camera within a well-hidden recess. Gallagher imagined this was designed specifically so that any Augment caught and held here during the Eugenics Wars had no reason to believe his actions were being watched.

The only thing the cameras didn't allow him to do was hear what was happening, and most of the time that was alright. He could read their lips well enough when they faced the camera, and when they weren't talking, he didn't care because he was so focused on what was happening on screen. He just sat there in the dark, with his large supply of Dahl's syringes, and his box of MREs, and waited.

He was waiting for an opportunity, one that he knew would come as soon as Khan decided to make a more lengthy recon trip. Whether Khan would be gone long enough depended on what Gallagher could do to make Starfleet aware of the Augment's current location. If Starfleet was aware that their missing weapon of mass destruction was lingering underground within a day's flight of San Francisco, the shit could hit the fan. And Owen Gallagher would be damned if he wasn't going to take advantage of that chaos.


	28. Chapter 28

**_A/N: Thank you all once more for all the reviews! I especially appreciate those of you who take the time to offer constructive criticism too because it really helps with my thought process when all I want to do is get this story out of my head and then I get ideas from you all that make it so much better than I could have ever done alone, so thank you for that!_**

**_As with previous chapters, there is more M rated content in this chapter, but I really shouldn't have to give this warning since this entire story is rated M, so I'm not going to give anymore warnings in the future unless there is triggering content._**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

* * *

It was hard to know the time of day when living in an underground bunker without windows, but after three days of living there with Khan, things seemed to take on a steady rhythm. The fourth morning, Madelyn woke alone again, as usual. Khan always woke long before she did, though she wondered if he ever slept at all. After eating a quick breakfast alone, she knew she finally had the emotional strength to confront him. She wanted him to understand her—no, she needed him to understand her, if for nothing else than because she needed _him_. But at the same time she wondered if they were ever on the same page regarding their… relationship, if that was the best possible term she could come up with to describe their interactions, however vague of a term it was. She knew he cared for her, but to what extent, she just wasn't sure, and she needed clarity.

She found Khan in a room not far down the hall, hunched over a table working on something in his hands. Tools and spare parts and other pieces of odd equipment were laid out around him. He seemed so focused on his work, she almost didn't want to bother him, but she didn't have to do anything to get his attention. He glanced up from whatever was in his hands, smiling warmly at her. "Good morning."

She immediately knew that look in his eye, the one that appeared every time he saw her now. She found herself returning his smile. "Morning." She walked over and leaned on the table, eyeing what appeared to be a weapon he was carefully piecing together. "Is that a phaser?"

"It will be," said Khan. "I'm designing it so that it will contain various stun levels, as well as a stronger kill setting for maximum efficiency."

Madelyn raised her eyebrows at that.

He set the half-finished weapon down on the table and turned to look up at her. "I imagine you did not come to discuss the technical details of my new phaser design."

She let the corner of her mouth rise slightly and pulled herself onto the table to sit. Even when he was sitting, Khan still barely had to look up to meet her gaze.

"I wanted to know what your next step was… for us," she said.

Instantly the lightness left his face. "I've not yet decided," he replied, turning his attention back to his work.

Madelyn felt a rush of disenfranchisement overtake her. She drummed her fingers on the tabletop and Khan looked up again.

"I don't know what you've got in mind," she said, "but I need to go back to living at some point, and I can't do that down here."

He searched her face, his eyes narrowing as though he expected her to say more. She hated the way he could read her so easily. Pushing his chair out of the way, he stood slowly, leaning over the table beside her, turning his head just slightly to look at her.

"Where will you go?" he asked.

Madelyn inhaled and wrapped her arms across her chest. "I could go back to London, or stay in San Francisco, or maybe get a teaching job in India—"

He laid a finger over her lips. "That's not what I meant. No matter where you go, you won't be safe."

She should have known. She didn't look at him as he trailed his fingers over her jaw and cupped her face.

"There will always be someone hunting you, someone who wants to use you for what you are," said Khan, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I cannot allow that."

He meant her blood of course, and her cells and genes. Even Dahl had said she was a _commodity_, a rare and useful thing for the scientific community to objectify in their labs. The thought made her sick.

She lifted her jaw as Khan continued to stroke her skin, his fingers sliding along her neck. "What about you?" she asked, trying to ignore the way his other hand had slid underneath her shirt and was gliding along her back. "You can't rot down here forever."

"I have a plan," he replied softly.

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh. And does it involve me?" The implication she raised was almost too clear, but she continued when he didn't respond, his fingers pressing into her tense back muscles. "Because I know you're either going to keep me down here, or use me like everyone else, and frankly I don't know who I can trust anymore."

She almost regretted saying it. His hands paused and he seemed to tower over her now, his nostrils flaring, his steeled gaze scraping over her face. She took a breath to collect herself under his unflinching stare, prepared to apologize, but in an instant his demeanor changed. He pressed his lips to hers, sliding his hands around her waist, and she leaned into him, almost forgetting why she'd wanted to talk to him. After a moment, Khan broke the kiss and gazed down at her, his warm breaths sinking into her skin.

"I am sorry if I ever led you to distrust me, Madelyn. I only want what's best for you."

She caught the hint of vulnerability in his voice as his eyes softened. She knew he would never act this way with anyone but her. Her voice dropped for no reason other than his close proximity. "Then if you really care about me, you won't keep me down here."

She saw the blatant conflict swirling in his eyes. "I won't let you outside these walls until I find the person responsible for hurting you," said Khan.

Madelyn pressed her lips together in a thin line. Though she appreciated his protective reassurance, it was stifling. Gallagher's face flashed through her mind and her throat constricted. She was almost angry with Khan, even as he continued to caress her through her shirt, his lips forging a gentle trail along her neck and shoulders. He spread her legs so he could stand closer to her, pulling her against his chest as his hands slid beneath her bra and unsnapped it. Madelyn reached up and took his face in her hands, forcing him to pause his physical attentions so she could focus.

"It was Owen," she said.

Her emotions welled up inside her at just the mention of his name. One more person she'd lost, to—whatever it was that Dahl had convinced him he needed, or maybe he was just insane to begin with.

Khan lowered his chin, his eyes boring into hers. "What?"

"It was Owen." Her lower lip trembled and she bit it to stop from crying. She could see on Khan's face that he recognized what she'd been unable to say for the last three days. His hands tightened around her waist as she leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "He was my friend," she whispered. "And now he's a monster."

"Do you know where he is?" Khan's voice was noticeably firmer.

She shook her head. "No."

A weight had settled on her stomach. She knew what Khan wanted to do now. She thought back briefly to the last time she'd seen Gallagher, his back disappearing out the door of that office. "He could be anywhere. Oh god, he could still be on this base."

"I should have ended him when I had the chance." Khan's voice rumbled in his chest.

She pulled back from him, her brow furrowed. "You don't mean—"

"What else would you have me do?"

Their eyes were locked together, Khan's digging deep wells into her. She considered how kind Gallagher had been once, how his eyes sparkled and his wide grin practically glowed, how thoughtful he'd been to help her arrange her grandfather's funeral, and then when Khan had come along, something about him had changed. It wasn't the look in his eye or what he said or even how he carried himself. It was how Gallagher acted around her, almost jealous and slightly possessive. Her grandfather had trusted him until his death. But now…

Now, Gallagher had let himself go too far with Dahl's serum. She shouldn't have even felt this way for the man after what he did to her, but his years spent with her family far outweighed what an Augment serum could turn him into for a few days. She wanted him to have another chance.

"He should be arrested and tried in court," she replied firmly. "In fact, I'd go public as the victim in the case."

The corner of Khan's mouth lifted. "The court system is broken. Why do you think I'm standing here? Because those judges were too stupid to see that I could not be shackled into slavery again. They would give Owen Gallagher a medal and tell him how valiant he was for protecting the Federation's assets."

She recognized his frustration with a system he'd probably done very well at avoiding creating three hundred years ago, when he ruled a quarter of Earth. She imagined that if Khan had his way, executions would have been common. Then the irony struck her, since the Federation had all but abolished the death penalty, that if Khan had been tried in an earlier century, he would have almost definitely been executed. But she wasn't sure, as Khan was, that the courts would blatantly treat Gallagher like some kind of hero, even if he _had_ once gathered information that someone in Starfleet thought they could use against Khan.

Madelyn met his gaze, trailing her fingers into his hair as his hands pressed into her skin. "If you find him, don't kill him," she whispered.

His hands fell to her hips and pulled her against him, his lips trailing feverishly down her neck.

"When I find him," he corrected, his voice deep and breathy, "I will give him what he deserves."

She knew then that there was no changing his mind. If Khan found Gallagher, he would do whatever he wanted to him. She felt a stab of guilt because she didn't know what else to say, but she soon forgot altogether.

Breathing heavily under Khan's frenzied kisses, she wrapped her legs around him as he lifted her from the table. Her shirt came off and her bra too as he carried her back to their room. She could feel him straining in his pants and eagerly pressed her hips against him, gripping his hair. It had been a long time since she'd had him inside her.

He laid her on the bed and shed the rest of his clothing, then quickly climbed on top of her. "Are you comfortable with this?" he asked, pulling her pants down her legs.

She couldn't help but grin a little that he'd even bothered to ask, and nodded, her heart palpitating. Khan's hands traveled down her body, landing briefly on her hips as he settled over her. His fingers toyed with her and Madelyn let her eyes fall shut, arching her hips towards him. She felt his lips on her chest, and then he filled her. There was mild discomfort but nothing that the pleasure he gave her couldn't outweigh. She gripped his back with her fingertips as he joined their bodies, grinding against her while his hands tangled in her hair.

She kissed him, making him stare down at her as her brow tightened and her breathing increased. She slid a hand into his hair, brushing it from his face while her lips browsed it. He groaned deep in his throat and pressed her into the mattress, his mouth dropping to her neck. "I love you," he whispered.

Madelyn swallowed, managing a gasping breath as he increased his movements, her hands sliding down his back. She loved the way she could feel his muscles rippling beneath his skin.

She struggled to form words as the first ripple of pleasure lapped over her. "I love you too."

* * *

Khan pushed a lock of tangled hair from Madelyn's face and kissed the skin it revealed. Her head rested on his arm, her legs entwined with his, while her fingers drew little circles on his chest. He wanted to lay there with her in comfortable silence for as long as he could, while his thoughts wheeled about his mind.

What she had asked that morning bothered him, only because he didn't want to leave her alone here, but what she had revealed troubled him even more. Owen Gallagher, that dense, obnoxious man who once claimed to care about Madelyn had already proved he actually did not, but to know that he'd attacked her intentionally was nauseating. Khan silently cursed himself for not taking advantage of Gallagher's defenselessness when he had escaped from San Francisco. If he had just given the man one more punch, one more well-placed kick, then Madelyn might still be pregnant. Instead, he had been so set on escaping _with_ Madelyn that he had overlooked an opportunity. He would not make that mistake again.

There was a slight possibility that Gallagher could still be in the underground bunkers. Khan had not scoured every single corridor, room, and closet, as the complex was enormous and it would take a week for even an Augment like him to search it thoroughly. He had more pressing matters to attend to, like planning how he was going to hunt down Commander Spock, and perhaps the rest of the crew of the Enterprise. He had considered a covert self-insertion, but as the plan had evolved in his head it appeared to involve too much time and Khan was getting restless. He would not just stand by while the people who murdered his crew were left alive.

Khan noticed Madelyn's fingers had ceased their delicate circles, and shifted to allow her sleeping form a more comfortable hollow between his arm and his body. He turned on his side to watch her sleep, one hand cradling her hip. He knew he needed to keep his priorities in line. He would find Owen Gallagher and he would end him. Only then would Khan find it easier to let Madelyn leave the safety and seclusion of the bunker for a "normal" life outside. Then he could hunt down Spock and the Enterprise.

Itching to accomplish something, Khan removed himself quietly from the bed, so as not to wake Madelyn. He put on some clothing as the thought of working in the nude seemed strange, and returned to the room in which he'd allocated his work. He had not been sitting for five minutes when red lights flashed from the ceiling, illuminating the walls in a pulsating crimson glow. An alarm blared through the room, horrifically loud to his sensitive hearing. Khan flung his chair away and headed for the door. Someone else was in the bunker, and had just announced their presence.

Sensing a sudden movement in the wall, he flinched backwards, barely missing being caught between the heavy metal barriers as they slammed shut. One movement too slow and his body would have been caught between them. Overcome with sudden fury at his entrapment, Khan flung himself at the doors.

* * *

Owen Gallagher had grown tired of watching. No, he'd grown disgusted with watching. He had hoped to act while Khan was away, but the Augment had more patience than he did. A distraction, though risky, would have to do.

While the alarms blared and the lights flashed, Gallagher initiated a lockdown sequence from a small control room not far from the security camera room he'd been squatting in for four days. Before venturing further into the base, he checked the cameras, watching as every door he'd selected slammed shut. Khan was trapped in his workroom, but Gallagher knew it would not be for long. The Augment was already using every bit of strength he had to pry open the immense doors with his fingertips. If his plan was going to work, Gallagher had to act fast.

He gathered his bag of MREs and injections, and sprinted down the corridor. He knew exactly where Madelyn was, or where he could find her if she'd decided to try and find Khan. His upper lip curled as he recalled watching the two of them rolling around in their bed, the way his hands had been all over her, and the way she'd _loved_ it. The pit of jealousy inside him was boiling over and he couldn't wait to finally get what he wanted.


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

* * *

Madelyn practically fell out of bed when the alarms began. At first she thought she was dreaming, until she stubbed her toe on the bed frame and immediately realized something wasn't right. Confused and slightly worried, she pulled on her clothes and ran out into the corridor.

Pulsating red lights illuminated the walls and the alarms were so loud she couldn't hear herself talk. She called out for Khan but even if he'd heard her and answered back, she wouldn't know. A sliver of panic inched its way into her gut. She jogged the length of the corridor, noticing every door was shut. He could have gotten trapped in his own lab by the lockdown.

She ran down to his lab and banged her fist on the door, but all she heard were the alarms and all she felt was the dull metal vibrating under her pounding. Her doubts spreading, she went back to their quarters and quickly began to gather her things. She didn't know where Khan was, but she wasn't about to hang around and wait for him if something was wrong. He should have shown up by now.

"Hello, Maddy."

She stopped what she was doing and slowly turned. She already knew who it was just by the voice, but her heart sank nonetheless as her eyes fell on the man she had once considered her friend.

"What are you doing here, Owen?"

He gave no answer and advanced on her. Out of instinct, she backed away, almost tripping over her pile of half-packed things. Upon catching herself against the bed, she sent a fist towards his jaw, but he caught it easily in the air before she'd even raised her elbow, and she froze. His fingers tightened until she hissed in discomfort, and then his knee met her gut.

She crumpled over onto the bed, gasping to refill her lungs, bracing herself for his next blow. Instead he grabbed her hair and yanked her head backwards, pulling a yelp out of her throat. Her scalp burned. She grappled for the only thing she could reach, succeeding in pulling the sheets off the bed as Gallagher dragged her from the room.

She yelled and screamed as he pulled her down the corridor, crimson lights still surging across the walls. He struck her again, this time in her side, close to her kidney. The pain blazed through her body, for the moment submerging her persistence to struggle with him. Then her vision was hit with blinding sunlight. They must have been outside the bunker, or he'd just killed her. Glancing up, she realized he was focused on moving fast, and took advantage of his momentary lapse in attention by kicking her foot out in front of him. He stumbled over her, though it hurt her shin just as badly. She twisted around in his grip, adrenaline canceling out the pain in her scalp, managing to break free of him for a moment. She caught his jaw with her fist again, then managed to wrap her fingers around his neck. She felt foolish for not planning this out, since he easily seized her wrists, his fists tightening until the feeling in her digits trickled away, and she was forced to let him go. He kept one wrist in an iron grip, making her grit her teeth as she felt bone grind against bone. Why he didn't just break her apart and be done with it, she didn't know.

Turning away from her without a word, he dragged her behind him down the old paved walkway that led away from the bunker's door, eventually stepping off of the pavement and into the woods. They tore through the trees, branches snapping past him and into her face. A small break in the underbrush appeared up ahead, revealing a basic shuttlecraft, unmarked but clearly designed by Starfleet for interplanetary transportation. Panic welled in her stomach as Gallagher manually slid opened the main hatch at the back of the vehicle, then turned to her and ordered her to get in. When she hesitated, he slapped her. She glared at him, pressing a hand to the stinging skin. The sinews in his neck were showing, his nostrils seemed permanently flared, and his pupils were dilated as though he was high. She noticed all these things in a matter of seconds, and they completely unsettled her. She thought about obliging him, just so he wouldn't hit her again, but she was too stubborn for that. Rolling his eyes, Gallagher grabbed her and shoved her into the open door. Flinching as the hatch slammed shut behind her, she was left in the dark.

She stood up and frantically felt along the walls for a door handle or any mechanism that could let her out, but found nothing. The floor vibrated as the ship hummed to life and the lights flickered on. She was in the airlock. She held her breath at the brief thought that Gallagher was going to kill her by shooting her out the airlock. Then he opened the interior door and yanked her through it into the main cabin. She was left alone again while he disappeared around a wall into what she assumed was the cockpit. After a moment, the ship rumbled slightly and then that familiar strange feeling overcame her, causing her head to spin, and she knew they were now moving at warp speed.

* * *

Khan's entire being was shaking with fury. He'd ripped the heavy steel doors to his lab apart in a matter of seconds after letting adrenaline course through his system, swearing he'd heard his name called as he'd warped the steel under his fingers. Seeing no sign of Madelyn in the corridor, he'd then raced to their quarters. There were clear signs of a struggle, her things scattered across the scuffed floor, the sheets torn from the bed. Questions raced through his mind as to who this intruder was, where he had been hiding this entire time, how he had known when to strike. The red lights still flashing in the corridor mixed with the anger in his mind, and Khan wanted nothing more than to destroy something. Then it hit him, a solution so obvious he hated himself for not realizing it sooner. An abandoned underground military base designed for optimal safety during the Eugenics Wars had to have a means of optical security.

He found the room full of monitors easily by looking for the only set of doors that had not been locked tightly shut. He depressed the buttons that rewound the recorded footage, until he saw the man he'd least wanted to see, dragging Madelyn down the corridor by her hair. The image sent a shudder of rage through him and he slammed his fist down into the monitor, sparks flying momentarily. The fact that the man had been too stupid to turn off the recording equipment kept a sliver of hope within him, but the destructive action released some of his pent up emotion so he did likewise to the remainder of the room's dated technology, leaving a pile of severely dented metal and shattered glass in his wake. His hands marred with red, Khan stormed down the corridor, making for the doors Gallagher had used to escape. He would not let this man take away the final remnant of his family.

He saw the shuttle lift into the air and disappear from the atmosphere in a flash of blue light. Panic joined the rage that spilled onto his features. If Gallagher had Madelyn on that ship, they could be millions of miles away already. His first instinct was to formulate a plan to break into the nearest shipyard in Sacramento and commandeer a warp capable vessel, but even if that proved to be successful he would most likely be unable to track the shuttle with any specificity, which would prove to be a waste of time. There were only a limited number of ships within Starfleet which he knew contained technology capable of tracking a warp signature, and he could not commandeer one on his own.

But if there were others still searching for Madelyn, and Khan knew there were if his interception of communications from a few nights ago had proven anything, then he had one other option. He was disgusted that he was even considering the idea a feasible possibility. These were the same people who had murdered his crew, destroying everything he'd fought so hard to reclaim. If it had been another time, if his people had been with him, he would never have even considered it. But the cards were falling much differently than he'd ever planned, and he had waited long enough to get the last remaining member of his family back. To have her ripped away from him yet again, and by the same man who had attacked her and caused her miscarriage, that was the final straw, and he knew he was willing to do whatever was necessary to get her back.

For the first time in Khan's life, going to the captain of the USS Enterprise for assistance was necessary.

* * *

Madelyn glanced around the cabin, noting the basic essentials for living that were built into it: a pair of stacked beds, a tiny enclosed bathroom with only a toilet and a sink, and rows of mostly empty storage shelves that lined the opposite wall above a single row of padded seating. There were no windows. A single storage pack had been casually tossed into one of the shelves, and she went to investigate its contents. There were a dozen or more MREs, a plain metal box, and a few odds and ends that might have been useful _before_ she was dragged onto that ship, including an old-fashioned pocketknife. She opened the box to discover two dozen or so syringes, each one filled with a dark, unidentifiable substance. She wondered if this was Gallagher's supply of serum that Dahl had synthesized from her blood.

There was movement from the cockpit. She replaced the box, the took the knife and slid it into her pants' pocket, just as Gallagher came back into the room. She backed away from the shelf, watching as he glanced at the bag then at her, but he didn't seem to suspect she'd been poking around in his stuff.

"Where are we going?" she asked carefully.

Gallagher crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. She winced slightly at the crooked smile that appeared on his face. "Somewhere Khan will never find you."

She shot him an angry glare. "Why?"

"Does it matter? I think by now I should have gotten what I deserved," he said.

She snorted at the thought that popped into her head, that what he deserved was to be writhing around on the floor of the ship in pain.

"You don't deserve anything," she said slowly. "You murdered my child." She didn't raise her voice; she barely let the words escape from her mouth. She was clenching her teeth as hard as her fingertips were digging into her palm.

The look that passed over his face gave her a smudge of hope, but it disappeared just as quickly. He advanced on her in one firm stride and wrapped his hand around her neck, backing her against the empty seats so that he bent over her threateningly.

"I wanted you and now I have you, and that's all that matters." His voice had a strange tone to it, something darker, something hungry.

She swallowed at the chill that snaked down her spine. Dahl's serum had done more than just make him stronger. He was also more aggressive because he had no one to order him around, and now he thought he could get away with anything. His fingers dug into her skin but she didn't dare reach up to pry them off. She knew he could crush her windpipe without hesitation. She guessed he was practically as strong as Khan while on the serum. She wondered what would happen when he ran out of it. She just stared back at him without hesitation, taking in his bloodshot eyes, noting how his pupils were slightly less dilated. He already coming down and would probably need another injection soon.

His expression unreadable, Gallagher removed his hand from her neck and pulled the small metal box off the shelf, taking it with him into the cockpit. Madelyn fingered the knife in her pocket. She had to wait until he brought them of warp speed before she could attempt to take the ship from him, otherwise she'd be trapped at warp forever, since she knew next to nothing about flying a ship. But she was going to take the ship from him. After that, she'd send out a distress signal, and hope they were still in Federation space.


	30. Chapter 30

_**A/U:**__ So I've gained so many followers to this story (thank you all!) but I kind of loathe the timing because I don't know most of you and I don't know how you all will react to this chapter._

_That being said, I hate to be spoilery, but there are triggers in this chapter for __**sexual assault and rape**__. I had a really hard time writing it, and please don't read if it's going to bother you. I tried to approach it as realistically as I could, which is always my goal, but without being too graphic._

_Anyway, don't forget to review :) _

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

* * *

With his hands in the pockets of his jacket, Khan stood silently within the constant flow of people that milled about San Francisco's enormous Van Ness station. His face was hidden from countless security cameras and personnel by a gray hoody and a pair of sunglasses he'd lifted off an oblivious passerby. He knew he was taking a risk by placing himself in this public space, but it was better than going back to Starfleet where he was more likely to be recognized.

His anonymous message to certain members of Starfleet had been greeted with questions, and had culminated in a request to meet. Of course, they wanted to know what he knew about Madelyn, and they had made it appear as though they had no idea who he actually was, but Khan suspected they knew _something_. After all, he was the last person she'd been seen with.

Standing like a silent pillar amidst the hurried masses traveling to and from the city, Khan quickly picked out their faces from across the complex, noting the phaser clearly visible on Kirk's belt, while McCoy only bore his signature scowl, walking closely behind the Vulcan whose own expression was rather taut.

Spock. Khan felt his blood boil and briefly considered changing his plan. There were no other Starfleet officers to be seen, however he noted the odd behavior of a few security guards standing off to the side. It would be simple enough to strike without warning. They hadn't seen him yet. He watched them as they made their way through the crowd. No, he couldn't act yet. He needed their help first, much to his displeasure. Revenge would come once Madelyn was safe, and the timing had to be immaculate.

Khan made his way quickly towards them, and Kirk was the first to recognize him. The captain's hands flew to his phaser and Khan almost rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. He slipped his hands from his pockets and held them up, showing them he meant no harm.

"You!" Kirk spat.

McCoy looked equally perturbed as they all realized who he was. Even Spock raised his eyebrows, eyeing him with a hint of unease.

Khan watched their movements carefully, almost expecting Kirk to spring on him or pull out his communicator. They'd been wise not to bring any other officers along, otherwise he might have been forced to act.

"I need your help." The words tasted like vinegar on his tongue.

Kirk's eyebrows shot sky high. "The last time we helped you, you ended up murdering a Starfleet admiral and crashed a giant fucking ship into Starfleet Headquarters. Why the hell should we help you now?"

"Commander Owen Gallagher has Madelyn and I fear for her safety. Their ship jumped into warp three hours ago. I do not have the technology capable of tracking their warp signature, but you do."

"According to Ms. McGivers' testimony, Commander Gallagher was her friend and had been for many years," said Spock. "I do not see why she would be in any danger."

Khan felt his ire rise. "Commander Gallagher was given a serum by Dr. Hans Dahl, synthesized from a sample of Madelyn's blood taken aboard the Vengeance. Dr. McCoy, you have the reports detailing the process. You know the potential a synthesized fragment of Augment blood can create in an average human being. Gallagher has nothing good in mind for Madelyn."

McCoy nodded, understanding what he was talking about. Kirk didn't seem to understand or care.

"You kidnapped her when you escaped! If you hadn't taken her in the first place, she'd still be safe. I should've called in security the moment I saw you here."

Khan removed his sunglasses, setting his gaze on the young captain. "The moment you reached for your communicator, your throat would be crushed, Kirk. I didn't seek you out with light intentions. And you are wrong to assume Madelyn was safe before I took her. I have reason to believe Dr. Dahl had been tracking her movements for some time already. She was also never my hostage. I gave her a choice, and she chose to leave. Her train left this very station, headed for New York, when it was diverted to Sacramento where I believe Dahl took her. I caught up with them easily, and a very thorough interrogation of the doctor revealed his intentions for her, as well as Gallagher." He looked between the three men, who appeared to be listening intently, gritting his teeth so as not to raise his voice and attract attention. "I cannot in good conscience let Gallagher get away."

"You once said you would do anything to protect your family," said Spock. "Do you consider Madelyn McGivers your family, Khan?"

Khan let his eyes burn into the Vulcan half-breed who murdered the seventy-two Augments he'd once commanded, his sunglasses cracking audibly in his fist. "Yes. What's left of it."

Spock lifted his chin and exchanged a glance with the others. McCoy butted in then. "I don't know about you, Jim, but I know what a poorly made serum can do. That damn tribble nearly smothered me But we've got the ability to go after this guy, so I say we go after him."

Khan was inwardly grateful for McCoy's persistence. He knew the doctor cared for Madelyn in some sense. He watched Kirk with anticipation, willing himself to keep his hands from threatening the captain's neck. Every moment they delayed was a moment that Madelyn moved further and further from his grasp.

"I concur with the doctor, Captain," said Spock. "If Ms. McGivers is indeed a hostage of Commander Gallagher, and the Commander is using a serum constructed on Augment genetic code, then Doctor McCoy is right to be concerned."

Kirk was clearly considering their words as he stared at Khan. The Augment raised his eyebrows in expectation, his eyes narrowing intentionally. "If you don't help me, Captain, I will be forced to take matters into my own hands." Or rather Kirk's neck, which he preferred, and then Spock's.

The Captain of the Enterprise rolled his eyes at his crewmates and nodded to Khan. "Of course we'll help you, but on one condition."

He felt a temporary wave of relief break over him, but let his mouth curl into a smirk. "What is that, Kirk?"

"After we find her and arrest Gallagher, you'll turn yourself in. If you don't, we will do everything we can to make you answer for what you did, since the courts failed on that."

"You would act outside of Starfleet regulation in order to bring me to justice?" replied Khan, not surprised at Kirk's unwavering demand.

McCoy physically stood between the two of them, eyeing the Augment and pressing a hand to Kirk's chest. "Damnit, we're already going against regulation by working with you." His lips curled into a scowl, an expression Khan found rather amusing. "Don't you dare let us down."

Khan did not intend to.

* * *

It had been nearly two months since the day Khan had crashed the Vengeance and nearly destroyed the Enterprise, and the latter was not in the finest shape. There were sections of several decks that still needed major repairs and it was only her new exterior shell that gave the appearance of rejuvenated health.

Khan was escorted to the Enterprise in a small shuttle from the planet's surface, accompanied by Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and a few other officers he didn't recognize. Kirk explained that as long as the Enterprise remained in her dock there would be little suspicion as to their actions, but since the ship was not technically cleared for space travel—and requesting clearance would require Kirk to reveal Khan's existence on his ship—they would have to use a separate transport vehicle once Gallagher's warp signature was tracked down. Khan understood and agreed, secretly hoping this would offer up an opportunity to deal with Commander Spock.

As they strode through the ship's halls, Khan couldn't help but relish the looks that were thrown his way. People were afraid, nervous, and angry, yet no one tried to act on their obvious emotional inclinations. A glance at Kirk told him the young captain was not too pleased with this either, but it seemed his status as the Captain who saved the Enterprise would keep his crew under control.

When they reached the bridge, Captain Hikaru Sulu had already set to work filtering through various warp frequencies and other signals that had passed through Earth's atmosphere.

"It was a small transport vessel, a relatively recent design," said Khan as he stood over the console, watching Sulu's hands fly across buttons and screens. "They jumped into warp before breaching the mesosphere. They could not have been more than a hundred kilometers up."

"If you would mind standing over there, Mr. Singh, I could get this done faster," Sulu replied.

Khan realized how closely he was leaning over Sulu's console in order to be sure the man was working in the most efficient manner. He slowly straightened, catching a look that passed between Kirk and McCoy before turning his gaze upon another crewman's work. An uncomfortable feeling passed over him when he realized they had seen through his cold façade. He could not disappoint their expectations of him. That was the only tool he held over them now, besides his superior physical strength, and he was not about to let Kirk take advantage of him while he was weak.

"Here. I think I found something."

Khan refrained from leaping too quickly towards Sulu's console, but he felt his pulse quicken.

"There was a faint warp signal this morning about fifty kilometers east of Sacramento, and eighty kilometers up. A medium-sized transport shuttle."

"That could be Gallagher," said Khan, turning to Kirk.

"Track it down, Mr. Sulu."

* * *

When their ship came out of warp, Gallagher wouldn't tell Madelyn anything about where they were or whether they were even still in Federation space. He was not so monstrous that he didn't make sure she ate, but then again, even a farmer fattened his pigs before slaughtering them. He would have killed her by now, though, if that had been his plan. He'd had plenty of chances to kill her already and hadn't taken them. A terrifying thought inched its way into her as she considered why he was keeping her alive, but she remembered the knife in her pocket. He still hadn't noticed it was missing, probably because he was too busy getting his fix of Dahl's serum. She imagined it was like synthetic heroin, and hoped he would run out so quickly that she could overpower him, maybe within a few weeks. She didn't know how much he had stored away, but she also didn't know what he would do when he ran out.

It'd only been one day, give or take a handful of hours, since he had taken her off planet. Of course that was only because she'd managed to catch a glimpse of the timepiece in the cockpit every now and then. Sometimes the hours passed like days themselves. Gallagher spent a lot of time in the cockpit, doing who knew what, since he wouldn't let her in. The one time she tried to, just to take a look outside, he flew from his chair and violently threw her against the wall, threatening her while spitting expletive-littered language in her face. She almost pulled the knife out then and there, but she was too shocked by his actions to think clearly and he'd retreated back into the cockpit. That was the moment she knew for sure she could no longer treat him as someone familiar.

When he did speak to her, it was because he wanted her out of his way or because he wanted her to eat even if she wasn't hungry. She was barely hungry. Being in the same room, much less on the same ship as him, it made her nauseated just thinking about it. What he had done to her was almost unforgivable, but she had yet to hear a word about it from his mouth. She remembered the brief look he'd shown when she told him about her miscarriage, the way his face has barely softened for half a moment. That look had been quickly replaced by the same harsh, barely-controlled look that he wore constantly. She wasn't sure if it was the serum doing that to him, or if he'd simply snapped under the pressure of what he was doing. She didn't dare bring it up, but she managed to keep her cool, whether it was genuine or not. He had to know that Khan would find them somehow. He had to know he wasn't going to get away with this.

That evening, and she knew it was evening because of the fatigue that had suddenly overcome her, she settled carefully and quietly into the lower of the two stacked beds in the compartment. Her eyes had barely fallen shut when she felt him grab her ankles and drag her out onto the floor. She scrambled up and away from him, even as he advanced on her. He pulled her roughly up and pinned her against the wall that hid the cockpit, one hand wrapping tightly around her neck. She managed to slip her fingers into her back pocket, brushing the small blade she'd kept there.

"You don't sleep unless you're with me," he said, practically growling. She flinched at the way his hot breath sank into her skin. She opened her mouth to respond, but he only squeezed her neck tighter, slowly cutting off her blood flow and oxygen supply. "You're mine now and you'll do whatever I want."

She clenched her mouth shut. This was exactly what she'd feared. She stared back at him, unnerved by the way his dilated pupils canceled out the bright blue that used to glitter with the slightest hint of a smile. Nausea overtook her when his other hand pressed into her pants. She managed a choking gasp as his fingers slowly loosened.

"You're hurting me."

He didn't waver. Not in his grip or his expression. "Good."

She took hold of the knife in her pocket and whipped it out, sticking it in his side. Then she twisted it, backing away quickly as Gallagher's hand fell from her neck. A tiny wave of satisfaction filled her as she saw fear pass over his dark eyes. He pressed a hand to his side, pulling the blade out carefully with a groan. Then he looked up at her, his face twitching, and Madelyn realized her mistake.

The knife clattered to the floor before she had time to react, and a heavy blow to her head sent her stumbling across the room. She barely caught herself from crashing into the floor, but Gallagher yanked her up and slammed her backwards into the wall. She blinked rapidly to regain her sight through the fireworks even as his hand trapped her neck. Panic seized her as his hands ripped at her clothes, his body making clear what he wanted. She desperately fought him, her knee crashing into his crotch, her fingers searching out his eyes, but that only made his strangling grip tighten until she saw stars again.

"No, please," she gasped. "No."

She clenched her teeth, tears stinging her eyes as his other hand removed the barriers between them.

"Owen, this isn't yo—"

Her words were choked out of her by his grip on her neck. She tried to shrink against the wall at the proximity of his breathing, her hands pressing at him fruitlessly. She clenched her eyes shut, willing all sounds away until only her heartbeat roared in her ears. She imagined a rogue meteorite snapping through the ship, breaking it apart and flinging Gallagher into cold space.

His fingers tightened around her throat. She wanted them to keep squeezing, until her windpipe collapsed, until she could no longer breathe even if she tried. Then she could slip away, dissolving in his fingers like a wisp of cloud on a windy day shreds amidst a field of familiar blue, like a broken ship disappears into the blackness of space. Then he could never touch her again.

* * *

_**One last note:**__ Like I said before, I had a really hard time writing the last part of this chapter. I know it's a very sensitive subject for some people and I tried to approach it as realistically as I could without being too graphic, but like I said, it was hard and I actually had a debate with myself as to whether I should even include it in the story, but for a character arch like Gallagher's (and for where I want Maddy's character to go), I decided it was going to happen eventually. I hope none of you hate me for that._

_All that said, thank you so much for all your loyal reviews and your continued responses and just for reading my work! You guys have no idea how much you all mean to me, and this is just a way for me to improve on my writing so THANK YOU SO MUCH._


	31. Chapter 31

_A/U: Another M rated moment in this one, so just warning sensitive readers. As usual, thank you so much for all the reviews! You guys have no idea how much they mean to me as a writer :D_

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE **

* * *

Madelyn lay awake in bed beside Gallagher while he slept. His arms were wrapped around her body, keeping her from getting up, but at least he wasn't awake while he still touched her. She could only bear to face the opposite direction, staring towards the back of the cabin at the airlock.

After he'd finished with her against the wall, she'd sunk down to the floor while he took another injection. There was nowhere to run, no place to hide, and no way she could fight back without hurting herself even more. After that, he'd forced her onto the bed, and she'd retreated into her mind. She didn't want to have any memories of this. She wouldn't let herself remember. It was in the past anyhow and could be forgotten.

She shifted a little more to face further away from him. Her neck ached from where he'd gripped it, forcing her to gasp for air in an attempt to stay alive while he'd assaulted her. Her thighs were sore also, and her back. She never thought he could be that strong. The serum he frequently injected into himself had made him as strong as Khan, but with an aggression that knew no bounds and had no sense of discretion, and that was putting it nicely. He was a monster, and she was trapped with him on a tiny shuttle in the middle of space.

There was still a possibility that she could fight back, but she would have to be ready for the consequences. Putting up an actual fight was clearly pointless and had only succeeded in infuriating him further. She'd learned that the hard way already and she wasn't about to go through that again, though if she could somehow manage to steal his box of injections and simultaneously get the airlock open… she had no idea how to go about doing that without him noticing of course. There was literally no place she could go on that ship without him seeing her, unless he was in the cockpit.

Taking a chance, she slowly and gingerly lifted his arm from around her. Her stomach churned at the touch of the hand that had practically strangled her as it brushed over her stomach. She tensed when he inhaled sharply, but he only turned over, completely letting her go. Relieved to be free of him, she rolled quietly out of bed and snatched her clothing from the floor, quickly covering herself. The ship was freezing and despite her disgust at being so close to Gallagher, he had been warm. She wanted to scrape her skin away as she recalled what he'd done to her. She touched her neck and winced. Her body may have had natural quick healing abilities, but her windpipe had undergone some serious trauma over the last month.

She made sure he hadn't noticed her missing presence in the bed beside him, then slipped into the cockpit. Outside, there was only a wide black sheet, dotted with billions of stars that were only visible from space when there was no light pollution. They must have been very far away from the nearest sun. For a moment, Madelyn thought that maybe they weren't even in orbit, but were just floating aimlessly through the void. Craning her neck to see out the edge of the wide window, she spotted the plain gray sphere of a lifeless planet. It reminded her of Earth's moon, but it was definitely smaller, perhaps not even a planet at all but a perfectly round asteroid. She watched silently as it inched its way closer into view. There was no sign of life, intelligent or otherwise, no lights, no buildings. Nothing.

She ducked her head down to the control console, hoping she could decipher exactly where they were, but made little sense of the readings. Cursing under her breath, she scrolled through what appeared to be the main control menu. She had to send out a distress signal. She quickly typed up a brief message but hesitated to send it. If they were outside Federation space, there was literally no chance anyone would receive it, at least not anyone friendly. Her doubts were erased when she heard Gallagher shift in bed in the main compartment, and she quickly sent out the signal. Then she crouched down to dig through his bag under the console, her fingers shaking when she found that cold metal box of syringes.

She could take an injection herself, but she didn't know what it could do to her, since her body's chemistry was different from Gallagher's. For all she knew, one dose could be enough to give her a heart attack. Shaking her head and cursing under her breath again, she tucked the box under her arm and stepped quietly across the room. She'd thought his hearing would have been more sensitive to her footsteps. Khan would have heard her coming before she was even in the same room. She'd never been able to sneak up on him unawares. But Gallagher was sleeping too soundly. He'd be wanting one of those syringes when he got up.

She didn't care anymore if he woke up to find her absconding with his precious serum. She unlocked the airlock's handle, her heart thudding in her chest as she pulled the door open. She cringed when it creaked. Not bothering to look back at Gallagher as his breathing shifted, she ran into the airlock and placed the box in the middle of the floor, then quickly backed out, slamming the door shut as that was the only way to make sure it was sealed. Gallagher stood from the bed. She turned to face him, her back to the airlock door, subconsciously blocking it from him. Even as his expression made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, she slammed her fist into the release button, and the airlock depressurized behind her. A quiet sigh escaped her lips, knowing that Dahl's serum was finally gone. This would be over as soon as his system detoxified.

The moment of relief was ended when his lips curled, his face twisting into an expression of raw fury. She saw the sinews in his neck tense, and anticipating his first blow, managed to duck it. He lunged towards her but she wasn't fast enough. He grabbed her hair and yanked her around, pushing her to the floor. She cried out in pain. Her scalp felt like it was on fire. She gritted her teeth as he tore her clothing away, and then he was on top of her. She was only grateful that she couldn't see him this time. All she saw were her knuckles, turning white against the cold, dark floor, and then she clenched her eyes shut. She didn't want to feel anything anymore.

* * *

Khan was growing weary of explaining everything that had occurred in the last four days, particularly the details of his and Madelyn's burgeoning relationship, a topic he rather hoped would remain concealed given the blowback she had received the last time these details were made public. But Leonard McCoy was pushing him for answers, the doctor's own way of showing his affection for Madelyn, something Khan resented. Whether this affection was more than friendship was tough to decipher. Given the way McCoy had treated her during the short amount of time he was in captivity, Khan could easily let himself believe there was something else that the doctor would never breathe a word of out loud. But he would choose to consider McCoy's feelings as one-sided, for his own sanity at least, since Madelyn had never said anything.

Standing in the lift that whirred through the Enterprise's decks, Khan was flanked by three security officers, with only Dr. McCoy for company. Captain Kirk and Commander Spock were to meet them in the hangar, where they would board a small, warp-capable vessel that had been stowed away for such recon missions as this. For Khan, though, this was more than recon, for the others as well, but they couldn't make it a public announcement for fear of alerting those above who hadn't given Kirk clearance to do _anything_ yet, much less work with an escaped fugitive terrorist.

"How long ago did this happen?"

Asking a question in reference to the information Khan had just blandly relayed to him about Madelyn's miscarriage, McCoy arched an eyebrow at him in a clear show of mistrust.

"Four days ago," Khan replied. "When I arrived, she was barely lucid. Dr. Dahl managed to stop the bleeding, and I in turn stopped his heart."

McCoy shifted, still eyeing him. "You said Owen Gallagher attacked her. Why didn't you stop him?"

"You assume, doctor, that I knew he was still on that base."

McCoy smirked a little, but his disdain for this knowledge was showing plainly. "So he outwitted you."

Khan let his resolve waver for a half second. "I admit he had an advantage I had not considered. He had taken up residence in the security camera facility, which I had poorly assumed to be of no use due to its age."

"Even the best of us screw up," was McCoy's reply.

Khan raised an eyebrow at the doctor, and for the first time he wasn't sure how to read him, or if he should even bother to take him at more than face value. The lift came to a stop and the doors slid open. Deciding he had better make himself clear, Khan narrowed his gaze at McCoy.

"For your own sake, doctor, you would do well to stay out of my way when we find Gallagher."

McCoy threw him a sympathetic look as they walked across the hangar floor, though his tone betrayed his apprehension. "Don't worry, I intend to, Mr. Singh. I'm just a doctor, not a damn superman."

Khan couldn't help but smile slightly at the man's attempt at humor, though he caught the sour flavor behind the words.

"Jim, however, might be a problem for ya."

Khan did not respond because they were quickly approaching earshot of the captain and his Vulcan first officer, who were waiting for them beside the ship. It was a mid-sized vessel, the largest in the hangar. Khan eyed it, taking in its specs, suddenly not looking forward to being crammed inside it with these people. He ached to catch Spock off-guard and finally give him what he deserved. It was the only thought he allowed to leak onto his features as they boarded, his eyes locking with the Vulcan's momentarily.

Once seated, Khan inhaled and forced himself to relax. He needed to channel himself, focus all of his energy into finding Gallagher and dealing with him accordingly. It was the least he could do for Madelyn after everything his actions had inflicted on her, indirectly or otherwise. She was the only one in the world who truly did not deserve his wrath.

Everyone else was fair game.

Their vessel hummed to life and Kirk guided it carefully from the Enterprise's hangar. Spock made a link between their coordinates and the possible coordinates of Gallagher's ship, based on the warp signature Sulu had discovered. Then they jumped into hyperspace. It would be soon now, Khan knew, and he had been ready for hours.

He listened as McCoy quietly relayed to Kirk and Spock what he'd learned from their brief conversation in the lift. If the doctor thought his own personal comments were safe from Khan's sensitive ears, he was wrong. They did nothing to gravitate him to McCoy's side, as though the doctor thought they somehow had a favorable connection with each other because of their shared interest in Madelyn. However, he was pleased that McCoy had decided to inform Kirk of Madelyn's miscarriage, since those were details Khan would rather not have had to repeat out loud again.

Before long, Spock announced that they were approaching the predicted location of Gallagher's ship, since the warp signature had disappeared. They dropped out of hyperspace, at a location Kirk announced with slight confusion was so close to Earth he wondered why Gallagher had even bothered.

"Pluto? Wow, this guy is an idiot," said McCoy. "Any kid with a piece o' shit spaceplane can go to Pluto."

Khan had to agree, though he didn't voice it. Whatever Dahl had given Gallagher had clearly dulled the man's common sense. It would explain why he had forgotten to turn off the recording equipment at the bunker in California, and why he was so completely set on taking Madelyn, foregoing all other procedures that could have secured him a location much further from Earth, even somewhere outside Federation space.

"I am picking up a distress signal coming from a small vessel on the far side of the planet," said Spock. "It appears to be from someone claiming to be Madelyn McGivers."

Khan struggled to maintain his calm façade, choosing to tap his fingers on the seat beside him, garnering a few glances from his security guards. Crushing their skulls would not have satisfied his impatience.

"Damnit man, of course it's Madelyn," said McCoy, rolling his eyes. "She's with Gallagher, and who the hell else would park next to Pluto but a dumb brute who's addicted to a highly advanced medical equivalent of heroin?"

"Captain, I suggest we approach quickly before Gallagher has a chance to get away," said Khan. "You will need to attach this ship to his in order for us to board through the airlock."

Kirk turned around in his chair. "How do you know so much?"

Khan didn't have time for this and stormed up into the cockpit. He almost grabbed Kirk from the chair himself, but held back, noticing the hand Spock had on his phaser. Kirk stared up at him uneasily.

"You forget I saw their shuttle leave Earth. I know how to board it," Khan replied, his tone short. "Now get me on that ship, captain, or I will be forced to take matters into my own hands." He was so close already, his hands curling into fists at his side. He knew how close he was by the looks on their faces. The guards in the rear compartment had stood, their hands hovering over their weapons. "Captain," he warned.

He didn't have to look down at the man for much longer. Kirk stood so that he was face to face with him, blue eyes boring into Khan's.

"I will give you this ship so you can get her back," Kirk maintained. "But as soon as she's safe, my men are going to arrest you. If you resist, we all have phasers and we will use them."

Khan met the captain's stony look with narrowing eyes that didn't waver, even as Kirk's did. He may have been young, but this wasn't the first time Kirk had tried to threaten him. However, this was the first time his threat could be made good on much more easily.

For one moment, Khan played a plausible scenario through his head. Reach out and snap Kirk's neck. Turn one hundred eighty degrees, anticipate a quick reaction from Spock, and quickly disorient him, then dent his skull in with a well-placed boot. Finally, dispatch the security officers with minimal effort and a few blasts of a phaser, and then keep McCoy at gunpoint. He would probably need a doctor for Madelyn.

But there was a chance he was underestimating Spock, or even McCoy. He knew the Vulcan's tactics, how he fought, his strengths and weaknesses, but not McCoy's. Who knew what that doctor had hiding in his sleeve? Khan's recent experiences with doctors had not been pleasant. Moreover, it wasn't worth taking the chance, potentially losing his grip over their current situation in which he was about to get her back, not to mention he imagined smelling the fear on Owen Gallagher as soon as he boarded that shuttle, and Khan wanted nothing more than to make that vision of a terrified cowardly bastard between his hands a reality.

Khan met Kirk's gaze as he moved out of the way, offering him the chair for control of the ship. It was almost comical, the way Kirk was giving him control again, quite a lot easier than the last time, Khan had to admit.

He took the seat and quickly went to work. Their ship would need to be angled quickly, hooked on before Gallagher had time to react. For Khan, this would be a simple matter of concentration.

* * *

Madelyn pressed herself into the corner of the shuttle's main compartment, sliding to the floor and drawing her knees to her chest, making herself as small as possible. It was just enough to make Gallagher decide to finally ignore her.

He was sweating profusely. His eyes were bloodshot and his hands shook as though he was detoxing, but it could have just been because he was so angry. He was yelling and cursing like a man possessed, and he'd only stopped hitting her when he became too breathless. If it weren't for the amount of pain she was in, Madelyn thought she might have been able to tackle him to the ground, but there was no point in that now. He was stark raving mad and nothing was going to calm him down unless his heart stopped.

At first she'd worried for the structural integrity of the ship, from the way he'd been throwing things and kicking things and punching the wall until his knuckles bled, making the metal shudder. She stared straight down at the floor, willing herself to disappear. The moment she locked eyes with him again, she knew she'd make herself a target, something she'd already learned earlier not to do again. Every breath she took was met with a dull pain in her side. She probably had a couple fractured ribs and maybe some bruised muscles in her abdomen, still sensitive from where he'd pummeled her before when he'd caused her to miscarry. At the rate Gallagher had been attacking her, her body's healing ability wouldn't be able to catch up.

But now it seemed like the serum was slowly being sweated out of his pores. His punches were weaker, his hands were bleeding more profusely, and every now and then he had to stop and catch his breath, while he held his head in his hands as though it was killing him. But he was still angry. At first, after he'd finished with her on the floor, he'd directed his blows at her and she had literally crawled away from him. Eventually though, he began to take it out on the entire ship.

And now here she was, curled up in a ball in the corner like an abused child. She felt pathetic, but then, she didn't have the strength or the will to do anything else lest she become his punching bag of flesh and bone.

The shuttle's walls vibrated, louder than usual, and she knew it wasn't Gallagher who had done it this time. He wasn't strong enough anymore. She looked up slowly, catching the terrified look on his face as he escaped to the cockpit. She heard him curse and mutter to himself, and then the shuttle's engines whirred to life, but she knew he was too late.

Still, she wasn't struck with a sudden sense of relief or a need for revenge, but only a realization that she didn't feel anything. She wasn't concerned or surprised by this, and yet somehow she knew that should have frightened her, but it didn't.


	32. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO **

* * *

Their ship was properly latched onto Gallagher's shuttle, creating a seal between them that would allow Khan to penetrate the shuttle's airlock. Once everything was in place, he rose from the pilot's chair and strode from the cockpit. Kirk stepped into his path, blocking his way to the hatch.

"I can't let you kill him. We're arresting him and bringing him back to Earth."

Khan narrowed his gaze at Kirk. "I warned you not to get in my way, Captain."

"Commander Owen Gallagher must be brought to justice according to Federation law, with a fair trial," said Spock. "Has the Captain failed to remind you of the actions he took on Kronos when tasked with killing you?"

Khan did not think that applied in this situation, but he hadn't forgotten. Kirk had been so furious with him that he had spilled every detail of his orders while Khan had been held aboard the Enterprise.

"He had direct orders to kill you by firing your torpedoes on you, and yet he decided it was morally wrong to follow those orders, so he arrested you instead. The same actions must be considered for all criminals, regardless of their crimes. It is how democracy works."

Khan considered the Vulcan's words, eyeing him as he rose from his chair, his phaser drawn, sandwiching him between them. What did these people know about governing, about _ruling_? Democracy, in Khan's experience, had never proved itself to be a worthy form of government. It was a utopian ideal to strive for, and it only worked if the criminal class was non-existent. It was something to give the masses hope that they could create a better future for themselves, without the weight of despotic tyrant to hold them back. But it always led to the inevitable, a cycle of freedom to apathy, to slavery, to rebellion, and back again. When Khan had ruled, some may have called him a tyrant, but his goal had been peace, and democracy had not fit into that vision. There had been too many factions vying for power, and someone needed to bring order and control to the chaos. Khan had been that someone.

He had orchestrated everything with utmost precision by simply demanding things be done, holding the threat of capital punishment over his subjects' heads. This avoided the inevitable corruption inherent in a democratic system, where multiple parties could vie for power, forgetting their original purpose in the process of governance. Democracy's failures had only been proven further by Khan's mere existence outside the walls of a prison. What good would this Federation's democracy serve to punish a monster like Owen Gallagher?

Still, Khan eyed Spock. One nerve pinch had been excruciating, as he recalled their fight on the garbage barge in San Francisco, and though he was sure he could withstand another, the added threat of Kirk and McCoy and their security officers all using their phasers on him reminded him that he was not yet in control of this situation.

Frustration welled up in him that he'd allowed himself to get to this point. It seemed that because he was willing to do anything for the one person he actually loved, he had sacrificed more than he'd intended.

He would not let that continue.

In a show of false consent, a move that every fiber in his being was screaming out against, Khan stepped aside and took a seat against the wall, much to Kirk's surprise.

"He will be dangerous," Khan warned.

Kirk loaded up a second phaser and slid it into his belt. "No more dangerous than you if we let you off this ship." He motioned to the security officers waiting close by. "Lieutenants Green, Berry, you stay here with Spock and watch Khan. If he does anything, if he moves wrong, stun him and cuff him. Bones and Lieutenant Woodard, you're with me."

The doctor was already preparing his own phaser. "Can't say I wanna protest this time, Jim. It's my fault all this happened in the first place."

Khan let the corner of his mouth twitch in a smirk. McCoy was absolutely right about that. When the doctor had been given orders to run tests on he and Madelyn, McCoy could have easily disobeyed them, citing some medical regulation against genetic augmentation. Instead he'd managed to bring them both into the same building, practically allowing Khan to have easy opportunity at escaping with Madelyn, consequently bringing them all to the place in which they found themselves now. If McCoy had disobeyed those orders, things could have played out much differently. Khan might never have discovered Madelyn was pregnant, or felt compelled to keep her safe as a result of that discovery.

Khan watched as Kirk, McCoy, and Woodard readied themselves and headed for the hatch attached to the shuttle's airlock. Everything inside him was aching to take control. He needed her back, and he was only one who could do it right. But with Kirk's threat hanging over his head, one that held potential legitimacy, Khan knew he had no choice now.

When he'd first decided to return to Starfleet for help, he'd known in the back of his mind that this was potentially the end of the line. In his desperation, he had thought of nothing but her, that he needed her back safely and that he couldn't do it alone. Killing Owen Gallagher would only be a bonus.

But now Khan was trapped. The all too familiar feeling of slavery edged its way inside him like a knife. Again, he found himself forced to sacrifice his freedom for someone he loved. It was becoming a pattern with him, it seemed, and one that had put him on the losing side. He could afford no room for remorse. He'd done this to himself, for her, and nothing else mattered anymore. He knew what he would do when Kirk returned with both Madelyn and Gallagher. No one had ever made him believe he never had control over his own fate. Khan was not just a master at manipulation; he was a master of control.

Kirk and the others returned sooner than he anticipated. Gallagher came first, his hands cuffed behind his back, pushed forward with little effort by Lieutenant Woodard. His shirt was torn on one side, stained with blood as though something had punctured him, but there was only a slight wound. A trail of blood dripped down the side of his face and his blond hair was matted sweat. His hard eyes avoided Khan's as he was marched to the back of the ship and forced to sit on the floor. He appeared to have little strength left, a far cry from the man Khan had seen in the security footage dragging Madelyn by her hair.

Kirk came aboard next, phaser still in hand, his jaw set firmly. He glanced at Khan wordlessly as he passed, then set to work in the cockpit. Behind him, McCoy and Madelyn walked slowly through the ship, the doctor oddly avoiding touching her even as she gingerly took a seat nearby.

Her body's healing capabilities had clearly not been fast enough to catch up with her injuries. From the bruises that dotted her exposed skin, Khan was certain that Gallagher had attempted to beat her within an inch of her life. He clenched his fists and pressed them into his seat, fighting desperately to keep his composure in check. He wanted to crush Gallagher's skull in his hands like he had Admiral Marcus', and then he wanted to pull Madelyn into his arms and kiss her gently until she fell asleep against his chest. But based on the way she flinched as McCoy leaned over to check her vitals, Khan was certain that Gallagher had done much more than beat her. She had yet to meet his gaze as he watched at her; she didn't even look up at McCoy. That Gallagher had done this made him want to tear the man to shreds.

As Kirk and Spock unhooked the ship from the abandoned shuttle, preparing to leave Pluto's light gravitational pull, Khan's mind whirled through all the ways he could take the ship. Dispatching the security officers would be simple, and Kirk and McCoy could be kept out of the way in the airlock, leaving no one to challenge him while he dealt with Spock. He wouldn't waste his energy on Gallagher until he'd secured the ship, and once he had, it would take the simple action of shooting Kirk out of the airlock to satisfy him. He considered keeping McCoy, if only for Madelyn, but he would never trust the doctor as long as he remained loyal to Starfleet.

Chancing another look at Madelyn, hoping she would meet his gaze, he felt anger course through him like an electrical current. His fingers curled into fists at his sides, and then he flew from his seat. He crushed Woodard's windpipe with one blow, then killed the other two officers instantly, their skulls smashing together with a sickening crunch. Snatching a one of their phasers, he charged into the cockpit, stunning Spock with a single blast as he seized Kirk's neck until the man choke for air. Khan dragged him across the ship and tossed him in the airlock, smirking as he rolled on the floor in pain. When he turned, McCoy blocked his path. Khan felt the phaser head prodding his stomach and pressed in on it, staring the doctor down. McCoy made a frustrated, defeated expression and fired.

Khan flinched. The stun setting merely stung. He knocked the doctor into the wall and dragged his unconscious body into the airlock to join Kirk. Spock groaned from the cockpit. Khan locked the airlock and charged at the Vulcan as he started to push himself to his feet, directing a series of repeated blows to his torso. Green blood spurted onto his fists as every emotion he'd held at bay since losing his crew boiled to the surface.

"Khan!"

He ignored the feminine scream behind him. Bone cracked beneath his fingers. Spock attempted to reach up and grapple at him, his eyes coming back into focus from being stunned. Khan responded by seizing him by his shirt and slamming him into the floor. Spock's head collided with the side of the step outside the cockpit and a puddle of green blood pooled underneath.

"Khan! Stop!"

He felt a hand on his shoulder and whirled around out of raw instinct, knocking Madelyn backwards to the floor. Khan felt a wave of guilt sweep over him and reached down to her, but she scrambled to her feet and backed away, her eyes going wide as she stared at Spock's unconscious form. She almost had tears in her eyes. He could hear them in her voice.

"Don't," she whispered. She swallowed to clear her throat and speak more clearly. "Don't kill him."

Khan stared at her, perplexed and disgruntled that she thought she had the right to intervene.

"Spock didn't kill your crew. They're not dead."

He found himself clenching his jaw, his brow tightening. "What did you say?"

"Your crew is not—" She paused, attempting to collect herself, forcing herself to look right at him. "Your crew is alive, Khan."

He went towards her and she backed quickly away, only stopping to avoid Gallagher, who was watching them with a frightened expression.

"You're not telling me this just so I won't kill him," he suggested, half-considering that she would, that she was trying to save Spock and that she would lie if she had to.

Madelyn shook her head, her voice trembling. "No. Spock told me everything."

Khan realized with regret that it wasn't just her voice that shook.

"He had your people removed from their torpedoes. He didn't kill them."

He glanced down at the Vulcan, whose eyes were slightly open despite the multi colored bruises and blood on his face. His mouth moved slightly, as though he was trying to speak. Khan looked back at Madelyn, noting the raw emotion in her eyes.

"You have to believe me," she said, her voice dropping an octave.

He took a long, slow breath, never taking his eyes off her. Her hair was tangled and tousled, hanging limp around her bruised and pleading face. He took in every bruise that marred her neck, shoulders, and arms, imagining her legs were discolored similarly. Only her feet, pale and bare, were untouched. He took another careful step towards her and she backed away accordingly.

"Why?" The word slipped from his mouth without his consent. "Why did you withhold this from me?" he said more clearly, channeling his anger yet again into a clenched fist. "Why didn't you tell me my crew was alive?!"

She flinched, staring at him, at the dent his fist had left in the wall. Her chapped lips parted wordlessly. Khan followed her gaze and was instantly struck with the image that passed before his eyes. Madelyn flinging a vase across the foyer of her home, glass shattering, cutting her arms. She tried to send a fist into the wall, and he had stopped her.

He tore his eyes from the mark he'd made in the wall, turning towards her, reaching a hand out to her face. She winced when he brushed them over her bruised cheek. He knew instantly why she had kept this knowledge from him. She'd done it to protect herself.

If he had known his crew was still alive, he would have taken steps to discover their location, and in his effort to free them, he knew he would have considered Madelyn a second priority, affectively leaving her vulnerable to whatever plans someone in Starfleet had to use her, someone like Dahl. She had known how much he considered his crew his family, and without knowledge of their continued existence to occupy his mind, she had managed to keep him focused on her, especially when she had needed him most.

The moment passed like déjà vu as he recalled everything he had kept from her; who he was, and why he'd been so interested in her family, and in her. Suddenly the pain he had tried so hard to repress pushed itself through his façade, and it was all he could do to maintain his composure, if only for her. He dropped his hand from her face, unable to verbalize what he felt, knowing that Madelyn had turned everything he had ever done to her, every lie he had told, every secret he had withheld, upside down and right back on top of him.

Spock's movement behind them made Khan turn his head slightly. The Vulcan had pulled himself into the pilot's chair, his fingers flying over the console.

"What are you doing, Mr. Spock?"

Strangely, Khan felt no compulsion to stop him. He had no reason to kill him, and it was like standing in a barren chasm with no way out and no reason to be there. His eyes flickered to Gallagher, who sat silent in the back of the ship, still watching them. He would deal with the man in good time.

"There appear to be several Federation vessels approaching our location," Spock replied, his voice gritty and hoarse. "They are hailing us."


	33. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

* * *

Against Khan's warning, Madelyn rushed to the airlock to check on Kirk and McCoy. The latter was still unconscious, having sustained a nasty head wound from Khan's assault. Kirk glared at Madelyn when she appeared in the open doorway, and almost rushed at her. She held out her hands, hoping to ease his outrage.

"I told Khan about his crew. Spock is ok."

Kirk pushed past her but paused before going up into the cockpit, eyeing the bodies of his fallen redshirts.

"Help me move them, would ya?"

Madelyn swallowed, hesitant to touch them, but when Kirk glanced at Gallagher and then back at her, she conceded, pressing her lips into a grimace. They dragged the three men to the back of the ship, leaving them beside Gallagher who tried to scoot away.

"These guys will get the respect they deserve when we get back to Earth," he said, then he went up to the cockpit, eyeing Khan who merely stood by and watched as the Federation vessels approached. Madelyn came up beside the Augment, leaving a bit of distance so that he wouldn't be compelled to touch her. She didn't want anyone to touch her.

They could see the approaching ships on the viewscreen, the largest a Constitution-class ship similar to the Enterprise, escorted by several small fighters.

"How the hell did they find us?" said Kirk. He leaned against the console, protectively close to Spock, staring at the approaching ships.

"The same way we found Owen Gallagher," Khan replied. "The only question you should be asking is why they are here."

Kirk and Spock exchanged a glance before looking back at him. "Do you know?" Kirk asked.

Khan almost shrugged. To Madelyn, he didn't seem to care, or if he did he wouldn't dare show it in front of Kirk. But it was practically obvious to her. Someone in the Federation knew Khan was there.

"I suggest you answer them, Captain," he replied.

Still frowning with uncertainty, Kirk turned back to the control console, shaking his head as he followed through on Khan's advice. The captain of the largest vessel flickered onscreen, a woman in her forties with short auburn hair and a firm expression.

"Captain Kirk, I'm Captain Elizabeth Janeway of the USS Entente. I was going to assume you knew why we were here, but based on the look on your face…" She trailed off, looking somewhat amused.

"Captain Janeway," said Kirk, acknowledging the woman onscreen with a slight nod. "I'm afraid I have no idea why you're here."

Madelyn heard the hesitation in his voice. Thinking back to how they'd found her in the first place, with Khan's help of course, she realized her distress signal could have been picked up by other ships.

"Alright," said Captain Janeway. She leaned against one arm of her chair, as though annoyed she had to explain herself. "I've been ordered to bring you in, along with anyone else on your ship. Whether that means I'm arresting you is up for debate, but my superiors have reason to believe you've acted outside of Starfleet regulations on numerous counts. Once you're aboard the Entente, you'll be placed under my custody until the Federation decides what to do with you, and anyone else who's with you."

Kirk was trying not to look too surprised. "Whose orders are these, Captain?"

Janeway sighed. "These orders come from up top, Captain. I'm sure you're aware that ever since the terrorist Khan Noonien Singh escaped from Starfleet custody in San Francisco last week, everyone's been a little tense. All personnel on your ship will need to be identified once you're onboard, and assuming your actions don't pose a threat, you can go on your way. Please allow my fighters to escort your ship into the Entente's hangar. I don't want to have to pull out the big guns on your little vessel."

"I understand, Captain," Kirk replied with a nod. "Standby."

The feed went dark and Kirk and Spock exchanged glances. Madelyn was grateful she and Khan had not been within range of the viewscreen, but based on Captain Janeway's behavior, she guessed she was only following orders. Still, they were strange orders. Was every ship in the sector subject to blatant search and seizure based on a vague threat?

Kirk cleared his throat and turned in his seat to face them. "Looks like you're gonna get what you deserve after all."

Madelyn started to reach out and grab Khan's arm before he could throttle the captain, but there was no need. Khan answered back with careful precision. "And what about Owen Gallagher? Will he get what he deserves, Captain?"

Kirk clenched his jaw, unwilling to answer even as he quickly lost his staring contest with the Augment.

"You heard what she said," Madelyn said quietly. "They'll shoot us out of the sky if we don't follow her orders. I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to be done with all of this."

Khan turned and looked down at her, his expression revealing something she hadn't meant to kindle. She met his gaze, shaking her head slightly, hoping he would understand, but Kirk butted in before she could explain herself.

"It's a wonder you didn't already deal with Gallagher yourself based on those bruises. You gonna be alright? You wanna talk about it?"

Worrying on her lower lip, Madelyn pushed against the rush of panic threatening to sweep over her at Kirk's incessant pushing. She didn't even want to remember, much less talk about the last twelve hours. It was bad enough still having Gallagher in the same room, and Kirk had no idea how Gallagher had acted before he'd detoxed. They'd been lucky to have arrived there so late, despite the torment that had been inflicted on her in that short amount of time. If they had arrived while Gallagher was still as strong as Khan… she shuddered to consider it.

She met Khan's gaze again, and he seemed to catch the look in her eye immediately. He stepped forward as Kirk came down from the cockpit, putting himself between them and allowing her the solace of staring at his back rather than Kirk's curious face.

"Captain, that won't be necessary," said Khan, angling his face close to Kirk's. The captain managed to stare up at him for half a second before shrugging and going around them.

"Fine. It's fine. We won't talk about it. I was just surprised he didn't even try to jump me." He headed towards the airlock, calling back over his shoulder. "Spock, take us aboard the Entente. It's not like we've got a choice. I need to check on Bones."

With Spock still seated in clear discomfort in the cockpit, piloting their craft towards the Federation ship, and Kirk distracted by Bones who was now grumbling and cursing as he was dragged out of the airlock, Madelyn found herself staring down at Gallagher. The man sat miserably against the back wall of the main compartment, eyeing the corpses of the men Khan had ruthlessly murdered. She felt Khan standing behind her and turned her head slightly, instinctively tensing when he gently took her wrist.

"I won't let him get away this time," he said quietly.

She appreciated his words, but all she could think about was how much she wanted his fingers off her skin. Every time she made contact with someone, she flinched, or felt uncomfortable, and just wanted them to stop. A thought flitted through her head that this was Gallagher's fault, but she ignored it. She managed to lift her arm from his soft grasp, and pulled it tightly over her chest.

"They're going to arrest you, you know," she replied, not taking her eyes from Gallagher. "They'll take you to Earth and lock you up somewhere and forget about you."

She imagined the look that crossed Khan's face, hardening his features. She was almost afraid to turn and look at him, but she did anyway. His expression wasn't as hard as she'd imagined, but his eyes didn't hide the calculations passing through his mind.

"I'm more worried about what they'll do to you," he replied.

She let the corner of her mouth lift in slight smirk and he narrowed his gaze. "As long as I don't murder any of their people, I'm sure I'll be fine." Though she smiled faintly, she was being completely serious. Khan quickly picked up on her signals, clearly not appreciating her jab at him. His narrow eyes raked over her undisguised expression in an attempt to somehow intimidate her, but his effort was wasted, and her smirk only grew.

"We have arrived on the Entente," Spock announced with noticeable exertion.

Madelyn swept her eyes across Khan's face, not knowing what else to say. This could be the last time she ever saw him. She didn't have the courage to reach up and kiss him. She could hardly stand it when he brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. Every human touch reminded her of Gallagher's hands around her neck and thighs. Khan watched her closely. She hoped he saw her reactions. She hoped he could understand, without saying it out loud. Anxious not to lead him to touch her again, Madelyn turned away, grateful for a momentary distraction from Bones. The doctor did a once over of her and shook his head.

"If we were on the Enterprise, I could incriminate Owen Gallagher here and now," he said. "But it looks like you're on your own, Madelyn."

She managed a small smile, even when he shifted his gaze to Khan and snarled. Khan responded with a cool tilt of his chin, and then the ship's hatch was opened.

They were escorted down the boarding ramp single file by the Entente's armed security officers, then promptly relieved of any weapons by the commander before being guided across the hangar and into the corridors of the ship. Hardly any of them spoke a word, except Bones who still managed to complain that they weren't being treated properly as members of Starfleet. Madelyn noticed many of the ship's crew were eyeing Khan, and wondered if he was really that recognizable. She was thankful no one seemed to notice her, and if someone did happen to glance at her, she assumed it was due to the state of her battered face.

They were brought into a heavily guarded briefing room, and told to sit at the long table that ran the length of the room. A wide window in one wall allowed them an ample view of the blackness of space, but it did nothing to calm Madelyn's nerves when she was pointed to the chair next to Gallagher.

Their every movement was being carefully watched by the multitude of guards that lined the room, various hand phasers and rifles held at ready. When Bones and Kirk began to have a conversation, they were promptly told to be quiet. Spock, meanwhile, sat at the end of the table, silent, wincing every now and then when he shifted in his seat. Madelyn worried on her lower lip, imagining how much pain Khan had inflicted on the Vulcan, probably breaking a few ribs and leaving bruises on his battered face that could last for weeks. She hoped there was no serious interior damage that hadn't been detected yet. Seated across the table from the Augment, she saw him direct his silent burning gaze at Gallagher, and the blond promptly lowered his own eyes to stare at the tabletop. Despite her proximity to a man whose guts she wanted to burn, Madelyn felt a small amount of comfort in knowing that Khan was keeping Owen Gallagher pinned down with just his eyes.

Captain Janeway met them just moments later. She was taller than she'd appeared on the viewscreen, but the lines in her face were also more visible. She stood there with her arms crossed, looking each of them over, the obvious question all over her face; at least it was obvious to Madelyn, and that was what Janeway was going to do with them all, now that they were in her custody. She found herself hoping constantly that Khan would behave. The last thing that needed to happen was for him to explode, leaving dead men in his wake, potentially convincing Janeway to lock them all up in the brig in case she decided they were just as dangerous. Imagining she could somehow keep his impulses at bay, Madelyn kept her gaze on him steady until Janeway decided to speak. He met her gaze with narrowed eyes and a faint smile, almost as though he knew what she was thinking about him and was decided whether to follow through on those expectations or not.

Captain Janeway took a place at the other end of the table opposite from Spock, leaning over it on her fingers before speaking. "I was given barely any information as to who you people were. I didn't expect to be arresting some of Starfleet's best and brightest."

Out of the corner of her eye, Madelyn saw Kirk stifle a grin.

"Please tell me you've got a good explanation for this. According to Starfleet records, the shuttle your ship was hooked up to was reported missing last week. I'm assuming you didn't have anything to do with that."

Kirk managed to straighten his face this time. "No m'am. It's a long story, but I can definitely explain."

Janeway gave a careful half-smile. "Please do. I'm very interested to hear what you have to say." Then she pointed at Khan. "But first tell me who that man is sitting beside your very banged up Vulcan officer, because he looks terribly familiar and I'd hate to lock the wrong man away if I'm going crazy here."

Madelyn clenched her jaw as Khan turned and gazed inscrutably at Captain Janeway. Janeway met his gaze briefly, her expression betraying her discomfort, until she tore her eyes away. Madelyn had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. Khan had that effect on people more than she realized.

Janeway tapped her fingernails on the table. "Captain Kirk?"

Kirk nodded, his tone growing more serious. "That's Khan Noonien Singh, Captain. We planned to take him into custody when we got back to Earth, but you got to us first."

Madelyn pressed her lips into a thin line. She felt foolish for believing Kirk would do anything but give him away so easily. She watched Janeway's face harden, her body slowly straightening up from the table. "Commander."

The security officer by the door straightened and acknowledged her.

"Take Mr. Singh to the brig."

Madelyn opened her mouth but received a look from Khan that made her realize it probably wasn't a good idea to say what she was thinking. He stood without so much as a glance across the room, his eyes lighting on her one last time before he turned his back and was escorted away by four guards. _Too easy_, Madelyn thought, but her mental wandering would go no further.

"Alright, Kirk," Janeway continued, taking a seat, "I really don't have time for this. I was reassigned to track you down an hour before I was about to take this ship and its crew on a five-year mission, so clearly someone up top thought this was important. Come to find out you were harboring a terrorist, so please tell me what the hell is going on."

Madelyn shifted in her seat, suddenly very uncomfortable with what she knew Kirk was going to have to say out loud. Her hands shook at her sides so she slid them underneath her legs. She wanted to leap from the table and race down the corridor to Khan, where she wouldn't have to hear Kirk explain exactly why they were there, and what had occurred. Kirk glanced around the room at them, noticing Madelyn's trepidation, but another look at Janeway's unyielding face told them all he had no choice but to talk.

"It was a simple rescue mission, Captain. We weren't harboring anyone. Khan came to us because he needed our help to track down Commander Owen Gallagher, who'd kidnapped Madelyn McGivers."

"This young woman, I presume. And you agreed to help him," said Janeway, baffled. "Why?"

Kirk glanced at Bones, who shifted in his seat and glanced at Madelyn. She stared at them both, almost disbelieving what was happening, and let out a frustrated exhalation.

Janeway looked at her. "Is there something you'd like to say, Ms. McGivers?"

Madelyn looked directly at the captain, her expression growing tight. She would only saw what she was comfortable saying; anything else and she'd shut her mouth.

"Owen Gallagher was under the influence of a drug," she said quietly, his name like bad vinegar on her lips. "It made him…" She paused, feeling panic rise up inside her. She took a moment to collect herself, shifting in her seat as Janeway stared her down. "It made him do things a normal man wouldn't do." That was as far as she was willing to go. She met Janeway's gaze again. "I'd appreciate it if you put him in the brig as well."

Janeway was silent for a moment as she looked Madelyn up and down. "Is he the one who attacked you?"

Madelyn wasn't surprised by the question, but by the forthrightness that Janeway presented it with. She nodded wordlessly.

"And Commander Spock, did Owen Gallagher attack you as well?"

Spock opened his mouth but Kirk butted in. "No, that was Khan."

Janeway nodded. "Were Gallagher and Khan working together?"

"No!" Madelyn snapped her lips shut as soon as the word slipped from her mouth. Janeway raised an eyebrow.

"No, Captain," said Spock. "Commander Owen Gallagher had gone rogue. Khan merely sought our assistance because he required technology to seek out a warp signature, which he did not possess. He also agreed to turn himself in once Madelyn McGivers was safely secured and Owen Gallagher arrested."

"Arrested for kidnapping," Janeway repeated.

Madelyn couldn't bring herself to correct the captain, her eyes dropping to the tabletop as she leaned backwards into her chair. The hair on the back of her neck bristled as Gallagher shifted in his seat beside her. She didn't dare look at him.

"I think it might be better if we didn't talk about the specifics, for now, Captain," Kirk said quickly. "She's right, though. We should put him in the brig."

Janeway tilted her head curiously. "That'll be my decision, Captain."

"Of course, Captain."

Bones rolled his eyes. "While you two are fawning over your titles, I think both Madelyn and Spock need to be looked over in the infirmary."

"You're absolutely right, Dr. McCoy. I've held these two here for too long. My men will escort the three of you to the infirmary now."

Janeway nodded to the remaining security officers still standing by. Quickly removing herself from her seat, Madelyn followed Spock and Bones from the room, anxious to finally exist in a room without Gallagher's presence to taint it. Once they were making their way down the corridors of the ship, Bones slowed his steps to walk beside her.

"I had to find a way to get you out of there," he said quietly. "You had the worst damn seat in the room."

She gave Bones a faint but knowing smile. It faded from her lips as her thoughts advanced with their pace. "What do you think Captain Janeway is going to do with all of us?"

"If Captain Janeway is following Starfleet protocols, as per her Federation orders, she will return us to Earth," said Spock. His voice was still gritty. "Captain Kirk will most likely receive a summary punishment for his decision to act outside regulation, and I will dutifully join him in that."

Madelyn nodded. She understood what Kirk had put at risk to help Khan find her and she would be forever grateful to him, however much she disliked the man. "And Owen?"

"Let's hope that son of a bitch rots in a jail cell somewhere dark and cold and lonely," said Bones.

Madelyn didn't respond to that. It was the exact same thing she had once wished on Khan, and now she was hesitant to agree with those terms, never mind they were talking about Owen Gallagher. Somewhere deep inside her, she wanted Gallagher to suffer at Khan's hand, but another part of her shuddered at the idea, knowing what Khan could do to a human body with his brute strength. If Gallagher died a quick death, just to get it over with, to move on from it all, that would be enough; but she suspected Janeway had no intention of executing him, even after Kirk informed her of what exactly had happened between she and Owen on that shuttle, which Madelyn was sure he was doing that very moment.

Once in the infirmary, Bones and the Entente's doctors assessed Madelyn and Spock's injuries. Spock's were worse, but Madelyn didn't get a chance to hear how exactly, as Bones drew her inside a private windowless room for her examination. After he'd carefully scanned her, noticing how she tensed and pulled away every now and then, he backed off and put some information into a borrowed PADD. Sitting on the medical bed, Madelyn waited for him to say something. Finally he looked up from the tablet, his brow soft.

"I think I can guess what Owen did to you on that shuttle, but if you want it to go on record, there's a test process that needs to start now."

She found herself shaking her head. "It's enough for me to know what he did without… whatever it is you want to poke me with."

"Madelyn, if this isn't made official, he can't be prosecuted."

"Who says I want him to be prosecuted?"

Bones' mouth closed, his eyebrow twitching slightly. Madelyn suddenly felt guilty.

"I didn't mean it that way, I just… everything he's done to me. Bones, you were at Khan's trial. You know what Owen did, when he was still a friend. I didn't think he could do anything worse. I guess I just didn't know him as well as I thought."

She watched multiple expressions flit across the doctor's face. He put one hand on the bed and the other on his temple for a moment.

"So you're willing to let him walk, so what… so Khan can kill him?" He looked at her from under his brow. "That's what this is about, isn't it?"

It was something she'd considered, for sure, but she wasn't even sure she could make the decision anymore.

"You saw him. He's still coming down off the shit that Dr. Dahl put in him. He hasn't said a word since we arrived on the Entente. He doesn't deserve to rot in prison. He deserves to—"

The door to the room slid open and one of the Entente's doctors poked his head in. "Dr. McCoy?" The man's voice was shaking.

"Yeah?"

"We, uh, we have a situation. I think you two should get out here."

Bones and Madelyn exchanged a glance and exited the room. Alarm lights flashed on the walls, and what she saw hardly surprised her anymore. While they had been hidden away in the private exam room for several minutes, Khan had managed to escape his guards and was standing firmly in the center of the infirmary, one hand holding Owen Gallagher by his blond hair, the other training a phaser on Spock. The remaining people in the room huddled in a corner, nursing wounds that Khan had probably inflicted.

"You have gotta be kidding me," said Bones.

Madelyn put a hand on his chest. "Don't," she warned.

"Not planning too. Already got knocked out once today."

She met Khan's steady gaze with her own, nodding towards the terrified doctors in the corner. "You should let these people go." She wondered how many people he had killed just to get to where he was.

His brow furrowed slightly. "I intend to."

Somehow she found that hard to believe.

"There's a ship waiting in the hangar deck. We don't have much time."

She glanced down at Gallagher, noticing his scalp was bleeding from Khan's tight grip. "What are you going to do with him?"

Khan didn't respond and looked past her. "Dr. McCoy, I will not hesitate to kill you should you interfere. You will tell Captain Janeway and Captain Kirk that Madelyn is dead, that I disposed of her body and escaped alone. Under no circumstances will you reveal the nature of Madelyn's relationship with me to Captain Janeway. Do you understand?"

Madelyn was shaking her head faintly. She couldn't do this, she couldn't go with him, not if he was about to do what she expected he would. Before Bones could respond, she lifted her chin slightly and said the one word she'd hoped she'd never have to say.

"No."

For half a second the room was completely silent.

"Khan, I have a chance to go back to a normal life. I can't go with you."

His brow furrowed incredulously. "You assume you have a choice."

"You gave me a choice last time—"

"Yes, and look what happened!"

Gallagher moaned as Khan's grip tightened on his scalp. The tone in his voice made her flinch. She let the hurt leak onto her face, and Khan collected himself.

"I only wish to protect my family," he said softly.

Of course, she'd seen this coming. She knew he wouldn't wait until they were back on Earth to act.

"And I'm not all that's left of your family anymore," she said, confirming her suspicion when his face hardened. "I know. It's okay." She wasn't sure if she was trying to appease him, or comfort herself.

"Come with me, Madelyn."

Was he pleading with her? She caught the glint in his eye and the desperation in his voice, regretting her decision for one moment. Then she remembered Spock was still standing at the live end of Khan's phaser, and shook her head again.

"No. Let Spock go, and take Owen and do whatever it is…" she trailed off, staring down at the pathetic man in Khan's grip. She held no remorse for him. And she knew Khan would take Spock regardless of what she said. Spock was probably the only one on that ship who knew where Khan's crew was being kept, and she wanted nothing to do with the aftermath of that discovery. She swallowed and steadied her voice. "I can't, Khan. Just go."

Khan's gaze grew hard, and Madelyn knew she'd hurt him as much as he was hurting her. The Augment quickly turned to the Vulcan, who was eyeing his carefully trained phaser with an unmatched determination.

"Mr. Spock, you will come with me. If you do not comply, I will be forced to make you, and I'm sure you don't wish to experience my wrath again."

Spock held Khan's steady gaze as he walked carefully around the Augment, the phaser held firmly at him at all times. Madelyn watched as Khan turned his back and quickly walked Spock out of the infirmary, pressing his phaser into the Vulcan's back and dragging Gallagher behind him. When he had disappeared down the corridor, she could let out a breath.

"Well played, Madelyn. Saved your ass. Now come on, we need to alert the captain."

She didn't look at Bones as he headed for the door, fighting to keep her tears at bay. She might never see Khan again, and it was all she could do to ignore the encroaching wave of loneliness threatening to crash over her. Still, it was better than going with him to watch him destroy more lives. She knew he would finish Gallagher, and it was enough to not try and imagine how.

* * *

**A/U: Wow, this is the longest chapter yet! It took me long enough to write too. I hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to review!**

**Just thought I'd point out that I chose Captain Elizabeth Janeway's name as a tribute to Captain Kathryn Janeway, an amazing character on ****_Star Trek: Voyager_****. Since Kathryn Janeway's father was a Starfleet Admiral, I'd like to think that the Janeway family has always been with Starfleet. Also it's canon that Kathryn Janeway's middle name is Elizabeth, so you can just assume it's a family name now. And this is just me fangirling xD**


	34. Chapter 34

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR **

* * *

It was a simple matter of cutting certain sectors of the U.S.S. Entente's power in order for Khan to escape without being noticed. With Spock held at the tip of his phaser, and Gallagher too terrified and incapacitated to do anything at all, Khan managed to disable the ship's engines and communications systems, as well as its life signs detector which would otherwise be able to track his every move throughout the vessel, and also locate Spock. A few security officers had fallen because they'd strayed into his path, thinking foolishly they could stop him, but for the most part the ship's crew was too distracted to deal with one escaped prisoner when their ship was floating aimlessly and uncontrolled through space. With almost every system but life support shut down within minutes, Khan slipped easily inside the Entente's hangar deck, forcing Spock to board the nearest open shuttle and dragging Gallagher behind him.

Once the hatch was closed, Khan tossed Gallagher into the back and ordered Spock into the cockpit. The Vulcan complied and wordlessly set about turning on the ship. Khan took the seat beside him, his phaser still aimed at Spock's head, and used his other hand to steer the shuttle out of the hangar. Once they were away, he ordered Spock to set a course for Jupiter, leaving the temporarily disabled Entente far behind to topple slowly through space.

Despite the control he held over his current situation, Khan found that his body would not easily relax, raw adrenaline still coursing through his veins, his hand still wrapped firmly around the handle of his phaser. Unbeknownst to Spock, he'd reset it to stun since he'd demonstrated its kill setting on a few security officers. He wasn't about to murder the one person who might know where his crew was. The word "might" echoed in the back of his head, taunting him to doubt that the Vulcan actually knew, but even if he didn't know, he could lead Khan to someone who did. Not that Khan trusted him to carry that task out faithfully should it be required; the Vulcan was likely to stab him in the back the first chance he got, and Khan kept a careful eye on everything he did.

He thought back to Madelyn and what she had said. Her ability to stand up to him gave him a hint of pride, but frustration overshadowed it. Though he was fond of her headstrong nature, he had not expected her to push him like she had. Khan had anticipated her hesitation as soon as he'd taken Spock, but he thought she'd have wanted to be present when he dealt with Gallagher. Perhaps her injuries were more severe than he'd originally expected, and remaining on a questionably stable ship was preferable to escaping with him. He tried to imagine what Madelyn was feeling, having been violated by Gallagher multiple times, but Khan's inability to wrap his head around her feelings only made him angry.

He recalled the realization on her face when she saw him in the infirmary. He knew she trusted him more completely than she ever had before, and yet she'd refused to take part in his plan. She was broken, and maybe she believed she could put herself back together without anyone's assistance. If that was the case, he was willing to stay out of her way until she was strong enough to stand at his side.

In the meantime, he had other matters to attend to. He fingered the relic in his pocket, a Swiss army knife he'd found on Gallagher. He'd noted the dried blood on its largest blade, and how the wound in Gallagher's side, which had yet to seal itself, seemed to be a characteristic knife wound. He wondered briefly if Madelyn had inflicted it, and the thought sent a reassurance through him that she'd put up a fight despite Gallagher's unnatural strength, so he had pocketed the blade for future use.

Owen Gallagher deserved nothing less than barbaric treatment.

* * *

"He WHAT?!"

Madelyn held her ground as Kirk stared down at her. They were standing on the Entente's bridge, Madelyn, Kirk, Bones, and Captain Janeway, along with the rest of her commanding officers, including First Officer Will Tanner who was busy attempting to bring all the ship's systems back online. Khan had somehow managed to shut off nearly every system but life support, a move Madelyn realized was buying him lots of time.

"He probably thinks Spock can help him find his crew," she replied.

"Yeah and as soon as he does, he's dead," said Bones.

Kirk was in shock. "You didn't even try to stop him?!"

"He had a phaser buried in Spock's back!" she shot back, burying her shaking hands in her pockets. "What was I supposed to do?"

Her only alternative would have been to go with him; she thought she'd made the right decision, but she was having doubts already. Kirk's expression made her feel uneasy.

"Dammit, we never should have trusted the guy," said Bones, slamming his hand down on a console. Just then the lights flickered on.

"Way to go, Bones," said Kirk, managing to smile through his frustration. The doctor still grimaced.

"Captain, I'm picking up a faint signal several kilometers out," said one of the bridge crew. "It appears to be one of our shuttlecraft."

"How many life signs?"

"Three. Captain, the signal is quickly disappearing. It's gone."

"Khan had Owen too," Madelyn said blandly. She met McCoy's hard gaze and an understanding passed between them. An expression of disgruntled acceptance passed over the doctor's face. He knew exactly how she felt about Gallagher now.

"We can't just let him take Spock like this!" Kirk exclaimed. "Madelyn, if I was captain of this ship, you'd be in the brig right now."

"Captain Kirk, I really don't think that's necessary," Janeway replied before Madelyn had a chance to retort. "If what you told me is true, then Madelyn McGivers has already been through enough. I don't think you need to place the blame for Spock's absence on her head as well."

Madelyn was inwardly grateful for Janeway's defense, but she didn't dwell on it. The more she thought about anything, the more she was reminded of Gallagher pressing her to the floor.

"So what the hell do we do?" Bones grumbled.

First Officer Tanner paused in his rapid hand motions across his console and turned in his seat. "I can contact Starfleet Command. They could send out assistance to scan the area. Khan couldn't have gotten far. That shuttle's not warp capable."

Janeway nodded. "Excellent suggestion, Tanner. From this point on I'm putting you in charge of making sure Khan is found. Contact whoever you need to."

A faint smirk appeared on Tanner's face as he turned back to his work. "Right away, Captain."

* * *

The shuttle reached Jupiter in an hour, the giant gas planet looming familiarly onscreen. The last time Khan was here, he'd been John Harrison. He motioned to the abandoned Section 31 station still in orbit around Io, a tiny speck barely visible against Jupiter's swirling beige and red ribbons. Still complacently working under threat of a phaser blast to his skull, Spock guided the shuttle inside the station's cavernous hangar. With a few manual overrides to the station's electrical systems from inside the shuttle, Khan was able to close and seal the hangar, allowing the station's life support system to whir to life, lights flickering on to reveal its incredible size. Khan had once inspected the construction progress of the U.S.S. Vengeance here. It seemed a fitting place to have his vengeance on Owen Gallagher, and extract information about his crew from Spock.

Once the shuttle was on the floor of the hangar, Khan took Spock into the back of the shuttle, restraining him to a seat against the wall with twisted metal wiring he'd torn from the ceiling. He imagined the Vulcan was already in enough pain that he wouldn't cause himself further discomfort by attempting to escape, but even if he tried, his arms would be shredded against his tight bonds. Satisfied that Spock was going nowhere, Khan turned to the pathetic heap of a man slumped against the wall nearby and dragged him out of the shuttle.

To the Augment's discontent, Gallagher didn't beg for his life or whimper in fear, but merely groaned in pain when Khan tightened his grip on his blond scalp. By the time Khan was done with him, he would make sure Gallagher begged for his life until his voice gave out.

Khan took the man down the corridors of the station and into a smaller room where there was no chance of Spock seeing or hearing them. He didn't need the Vulcan turning against him and making things more difficult than they could be purely because Spock disapproved of his methods.

"Lights," said Khan as the door slid shut behind them, his voice thick with anticipation for what he was about to do. The room was illuminated, revealing what remained of an abandoned workstation. Khan's eyes swept over the tools and devices that Section 31 personnel had abandoned. Letting go of Gallagher's scalp, he pulled the Swiss army knife from his pocket, flipping it open to watch it catch the light. Gallagher saw it too and tried to scramble away. Disgusted, Khan reached down and yanked the man to his feet, pressing his blade into the wound that was still bleeding in Gallagher's side. He was going to remind Gallagher of what he did to Madelyn.

"Take off your clothes," he ordered. It was almost a growl.

A primal fear passed over Gallagher's blue eyes as Khan let him go, still pressing the knife into his side. Khan barely restrained an eye roll. "Don't be ridiculous, Commander," he said, letting the words drip off of his tongue slow enough to make Gallagher faintly shudder. "I do not commit acts of sexual violence, unlike yourself." He removed the knife for the moment. "Take off your clothes."

Gallagher, with shaking hands, pulled off his Starfleet regulation clothing until he was in nothing but his underwear.

"All of your clothes."

Once the man was naked, Khan motioned to a wheeled chair nearby and Gallagher pulled it over and sat down. Pulling a coil of wire from the room's central table, Khan wrapped it tightly around Gallagher's wrists and feet, restraining him to the chair. Then he stepped back and took in the raw terror that covered the bastard's face, a look that told Khan Gallagher knew he'd already lost a long time ago.

"The marks you left on her face. Did you enjoy putting them there? Did you enjoy those moments of control you held over her?" said Khan, pointing his blade at Gallagher. He didn't want an answer. "I can guess you enjoyed far more than that. She was an empty shell when I got her back. She flinched every time someone touched her." Khan bent over to put his face in Gallagher's, lifting the man's chin with the tip of his knife. A trickle of blood dripped down the blade. "Tell me, Commander, since we both know her so well, why would Madelyn flinch away from a gentle hand, unless she'd already been struck by a fist?"

Before Gallagher could respond, Khan straightened and brought the blade down into Gallagher's right wrist, slicing clean through bone, tendons, and ligaments. Gallagher cried out, shaking in his chair as the inanimate hand dropped to the floor.

"As I hope you're well aware, Commander, she had bruises on both sides of her face. Not an easy feat for just one hand."

He pressed the blade into Gallagher's other wrist, and this time more slowly, allowing the muscle and attached ligaments to stretch as he ripped the remaining limb away.

Gallagher screamed, sweat dripping down his face as he stared at his two bloody stumps. Khan tossed the offending hand away, kneeling to wipe his knife on Gallagher's crumbled pile of clothing.

"Now we have an understanding. Strike her with your hands, you lose them." Khan straightened and stared down at the man. "Can you imagine which part of you I'll chop off next?"

Gallagher gulped, his bloody arms shaking. Khan slid a finger along the knife's sharp edge.

"Do you know what the punishment for rape was under my rule, Commander?"

Gallagher met his gaze for barely a moment. "D-death?"

Khan exhaled out of irritation. Not only had Gallagher committed a heinous act of sexual violence, automatically placing himself on the bottom of Khan's totem pole, but now he'd just proved how mind-numbingly stupid he was.

"No," Khan replied, tightening his fingers around the knife's hilt as he angled it downwards towards his intended target. "It was castration."

* * *

Madelyn sat in the Entente's empty mess hall, having finally been able to eat a real meal of real food. It was a glorious change from the MREs she and Khan had shared, and from what Gallagher had forced her to eat.

Bones and Kirk had eaten with her but left as soon as they'd finished, desperately trying to figure out a plan to get Spock back from Khan. Madelyn didn't care anymore, at least not enough to join them in their scheming. She may have felt a little guilty, but she knew Khan would keep Spock until he found his crew, or until the Vulcan proved to be useless to him. She knew Spock was intelligent enough to stay alive as long as he could, but that didn't mean Khan couldn't just snap his neck if he chose.

Hardly an hour had passed when Captain Janeway came to join her in the empty room, just as she was getting up to leave.

"Madelyn? I need to talk to you for a moment."

She paused and sat back down. "Alright."

Janeway joined her at the table in the middle of the room.

"Captain Kirk told me what happened to you. Said Commander Owen Gallagher attacked you and… sexually assaulted you more than once. I wanted to know how you were holding up."

Madelyn propped her elbow up on the table, covering her mouth with her fist. She looked at Janeway, how kind she looked, and how kind she was trying to be. Madelyn didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to even think about it, because she knew if she did she'd never be able to forget.

"I'm ok, as well as anybody in my situation would be."

Janeway smiled faintly and Madelyn could see she didn't believe her.

"Listen, I know I'm not a therapist or a doctor, but I can tell when a girl needs someone to talk to. But if you don't want to talk, I understand. That's not why I'm here anyway."

Madelyn leaned back in her seat, pulling her hands underneath the table. "Why are you here, Captain?"

Janeway laced her fingers together on the tabletop. "I've received orders from high up in Starfleet to return the Entente and everyone onboard to Starbase One."

Madelyn nodded slowly. Starbase One was Earth's largest space dock. "What does this have to do with me?"

"I was also ordered to turn over the ship's manifest, which, after your arrival, had been updated with the necessary information concerning you, Dr. McCoy, and Captain Kirk."

Suddenly Madelyn realized where this was going.

"Even though you're all listed officially as being under my custody, I've been informed that the moment we arrive and you step off the Entente, you're going to be arrested."

Madelyn bit her lip to keep from cursing under her breath in front of the captain. She couldn't imagine what charges would be laid over her head, what kind of claims they would make about her.

"My superior officer didn't answer any of my questions the way I had hoped," Janeway continued, "except to inform me that due to the nature of your relationship with Khan Noonien Singh, you cannot be allowed back into Earth society. What the hell he meant by "the nature of your relationship" is beyond me. Based on the news surrounding Mr. Singh's trial, I'd assumed the tabloid buzz was just trumped up hype mixed with fake photography."

"No…" Madelyn replied, not sure what exactly to say except something that could negate the disgusting things the media had and was probably still saying about her. But Captain Janeway seemed like a reasonable person who wouldn't believe those things. "I knew him before he bombed London. It's a long story."

Janeway seemed troubled by that. "Well," she said carefully after a moment, "maybe someone in Starfleet can help explain why you were dragged into this mess."

Madelyn didn't respond. She knew exactly why, and it was so far out of her control that she regretted not going with Khan when she'd had the chance. It was in her genes. A familiar sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach reminded her that there could be others out there like Dr. Dahl, whose sole interests were the furtherance of scientific research at the expense of human dignity; except that she wasn't altogether human, not entirely.

"So there's nothing you can do for me, when we arrive I mean…"

Janeway shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm just relaying the information that was given to me."

Madelyn nodded, feeling a surge of helplessness overtake her.

Janeway touched Madelyn's hand gently. "If there is anything I can do for you now, while I still can, just let me know."

Janeway stood from the table and Madelyn smiled faintly up at her, but couldn't find anything worth saying. The captain returned her smile, then turned and left the mess hall, leaving Madelyn alone with her thoughts.

She wanted to be with Khan, but she wanted him here with her on this ship, not fleeing through space in a cramped shuttle with two hostages. She wanted Gallagher dead and Spock safe and Khan's crew never to be found lest he wake them up and begin to wreak havoc like the history books said he had almost three hundred years ago. She loved him and she wanted him and only him, with nothing else to stand between them. She wanted this to be over. God, how many times had she wished for this to be over? Yet in the back of her mind, she knew going back to a "normal" life might never be possible.

She buried her face in her hands as her throat constricted. She imagined Khan sitting there, with his black hair needing to be brushed away from his beguiling blue eyes that never left her face, and his warm hand enclosing her wrist, his thumb drawing circles in her skin. Her teary eyes opened briefly again to see the empty chair across from her. She dropped her hands to the cold metal table, picturing how he would take them in his own, their fingers intertwining, how he would reassure her that things would be alright.

But things weren't alright and he wasn't there. Madelyn had done this to herself, assuming she would be safer on the Entente, away from the destruction Khan was sure to cause in his desperate quest to recover his crew. This was the second time she had pulled away from him and found herself trapped. It seemed she was better off with him after all. But now she realized there were other hands playing behind the scenes, and by setting their sights on controlling her, they had just revealed their cards.


	35. Chapter 35

**_A/N: So I decided Khan wasn't quite finished with Gallagher, so this chapter starts off with a short section to finish him off for good. It's still a bit violent, just to warn you._**

**_I also just want to thank all of my readers and those of you who faithfully and constantly leave reviews, as well as those of you I correspond with through PMs (You know who you are). Talking with you guys really helps with my thought processes, especially as I get further and further along into this story. I'll just be honest here and say that outside of my original work (of monstrous proportions which isn't published on the internet), this is the first story I've ever known for sure I'll be completing, and then reworking and completing again until I'm satisfied. Sometimes a muse is just that strong that it decides to stick around to the end, and talking with you guys through PMs has been extremely helpful in that regard as well so THANK YOU LOADS YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND I LOVE YOU FOREVER. _**

**_Anyway please enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave feedback!_**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

* * *

Gritting his teeth at what he was about to do, Khan grabbed the man in his fist, ignoring Gallagher's pleas as he squirmed and strained against his restraints.

"W-wait! Wait! I know where your crew is!"

Khan paused, socked with a sudden rush of frustration and anger, and hope. He didn't loosen his grip on Gallagher, instead nicking the skin to get him to talk. Khan hardly believed he was telling the truth.

"Tell me," he growled.

"Th-this guy, he paid Hans Dahl," Gallagher stuttered, his eyes flitting to the bloody stumps on the ends of his arms in an attempt to avoid eye contact. Khan didn't relinquish the threat of the knife, but took Gallagher's jaw tightly in his other hand, forcing the man to look at him.

"Who?"

"I don't know! He never talked to me. Only Dahl," he said through gritted teeth.

Khan was sorely tempted to break the man's face in his hand by squeezing his mandibles until they shattered. "What does this have to do with my crew?" he hissed, sending spittle onto Gallagher's face.

"He w-worked with Marcus. He ran everything. He knows everything."

Khan eyed him. Gallagher knew he was dead, so he had no reason to lie. He tightened his grip on the blade between his fingers. "Where can I find this man?"

Gallagher swallowed, "He's on Starb-base One."

Narrowing his gaze, Khan let his hand drop from Gallagher's jaw, momentarily considering how glaringly obvious this should have been to him. Someone had to have known what Marcus was doing and kept it covered up, away from Federation eyes and ears. Anxious to move on, he sliced his knife through Gallagher's targeted appendage, and the man let out a blood-curdling scream. Breathing hard, almost snarling, Khan kicked Gallagher's chair backwards to the floor. The man would stay there, bleeding out, tied to his chair and missing a few parts; he didn't deserve the mercy of a clean death.

Finally satisfied with what he'd done, Khan left the room as it was, locking the door behind him before stalking down the corridor, wiping blood from his hands onto Gallagher's shirt before tossing it away. His shuttle still sat in the Io Facility's main hangar, with Spock tied up inside. When he climbed aboard, the Vulcan gave Khan a once over before raising an eyebrow. Khan ignored him, settling into the cockpit, setting a course for Earth.

* * *

As the Entente docked at Starbase One, Madelyn didn't talk to anyone. She sensed there was a very real rift growing between her and Kirk, and because Kirk was in a bad mood, Bones was in an even worse mood. Only Captain Janeway treated Madelyn kindly, and when they prepared to leave the ship, she pulled her aside briefly.

"I'll make sure to keep tabs on you. You're not alone in this, alright?"

Madelyn was only partially reassured. There was only so much one Starfleet officer could do while still remaining within Starfleet regulation if they were serious about their career.

And Janeway had been right. The moment Madelyn set foot on the hangar floor, a battalion of armed officers dressed in unmarked gray uniforms approached them, their commander stepping forward to announce her arrest. Despite vocal protests from McCoy, which she appreciated, there was nothing he could do either, as she was charged with aiding and abetting a terrorist. She was silent when they cuffed her and escorted her from the hangar. Holding her chin up, taking in her surroundings, she glanced back over her shoulder as Kirk, McCoy, and Captain Janeway grew smaller until the hangar doors slid shut and she couldn't see them anymore.

Alone, save for the troupe of men and women who must have been private security leading her through the long and winding corridors of Starbase One, Madelyn wore a steely expression. No one was going to see through her mask, to see how broken she felt inside. Whatever came next she would meet head on, and if it killed her, if it really came to that, her one regret would be that she never got to say goodbye to Khan. She'd pushed him away and he had left her, and that was really all she had deserved now that she thought about it.

They must have walked several miles of corridors and taken two or three separate lifts before they finally arrive in another part of the station. They came out into a wide atrium that took up the upper portion of the station's central globe, their path taking them out onto a narrow catwalk. It stretched across an opening in that level's floor, offering a view of the lower decks, the floor probably a hundred feet down. Above, and Madelyn couldn't help but stare as she kept walking, the domed ceiling had been constructed to allow anyone who walked across the catwalk a clear view of open space, with Earth, a crescent of marbled blue and white, slipping into view on one side. Struck with a sudden sense of vertigo, she tore her eyes from the sight just as they entered a room on the other side of the catwalk.

It was a spacious room, with modern lighting and a window that took up most of the curving walls, offering a wide view of the rest of the station including several docking ports that spread out from the main hub like spokes on a wheel. Behind a long glass desk that sat in front of the window, a burgundy high-backed chair spun around and an older man with graying hair stood up and walked towards them. He was dressed in an impeccably tailored suit, and despite the age on his face, he walked remarkably quickly and with the ease and lightness of a man in his thirties.

"Well, if it isn't Ms. Madelyn McGivers, come to present herself to the man who can help her fulfill her purpose in life."

If Madelyn could make her expression say 'what the fuck' out loud, she hoped she was doing a good job of it. She shifted her weight onto both feet as the man kept coming towards her, his hands pulled elegantly behind his back. The smoothness of his deep American accent was too much for her.

"Why was I arrested, and who are you?" She made her tone demanding. "What do you want with me?"

The man smiled, adding lines around the bags under his eyes. "Now, now, too many questions at once and I have too little time to answer them at the moment. Besides, I think you're intelligent enough to know why you're here."

Madelyn clenched her jaw to keep from spitting out the obvious answer. She wasn't about to goad this man on, knowing that the moment she let him have the upper hand, he would take advantage of it and she would lose the very small piece of ground she currently stood on. Silence was the better option, she realized, and the man proved it soon enough. He looked at her for a moment, raising an eyebrow when she didn't respond as he'd clearly expected her to. Then he turned his back and paced towards the window, allowing Madelyn a moment to quietly let out her breath.

"You were arrested because I need you. I made an investment, and he failed me, and you're what's left of it. My deepest condolences for the loss of your child, by the way. I regret that I didn't keep a closer eye on Dr. Dahl's… recruits."

"Who are you?" she repeated.

The man turned and smiled again with closed lips. "Every great civilization has had its rulers and celebrities and charismatic personalities driving the public underneath an invisible whip of false choice. But always behind that public face is the real power who makes all the actual decisions. Now who do you think I am? When I heard of Admiral Alexander Marcus' quest to ultimately bring war with the Klingon's to our doorstep, I couldn't help but feel curiosity, even glee, at the prospect that such an orchestration of events could prove useful, and in the right hands, could eventually lead us all into a brighter age. I felt I had no choice but to help Marcus pursue his agenda."

The man turned from the window, pacing slowly across the room, as though lost in his own thoughts that seemed to churn from his mouth.

"What followed, of course, was something I did not expect, and when Marcus lost control of Khan, well, I decided I would have to take advantage of this as well, particularly the details of the Augment's little "investigation.""

Madelyn fought to keep her face neutral, but she swallowed and it was enough to make the man see her trepidation.

"Yes, it was messy at first," he said, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "The whole business with your grandfather, William, was terribly unfortunate. He'd helped Starfleet make such large strides with his generous financial contributions. Of course don't forget I had a thing or two to do with that. When I discovered he wasn't going to be helpful to me in return, I knew he needed to go. As you should have realized by now, I wanted to get to you, seeing as you're younger and simply more useful, which is where Commander Owen Gallagher came into the picture, but Khan got to you first."

Madelyn found her stomach churning. "You thought you could get a man who was once a good friend of mine to kill me? Are you an idiot?" She regretted the words at first, but the man only shrugged.

"I had to try something, test the waters you see. It was a trial run, if nothing else. Of course it was doomed to fail the moment you let the Augment into your life. That bastard has always had a way of fucking with everyone's plans, ever since Marcus woke him. I have to say that was definitely Marcus' fatal mistake, but I suppose we wouldn't have made it far without waking Khan in the first place." The man shrugged again, almost as though he was thinking out loud and decided his thought process wasn't worth dwelling on. "Anyway, after you disappeared into that mess with the Enterprise and the Vengeance, I thought I had just wasted time and money, so I moved on to other pursuits. I was in contact with Dahl for a while, but he'd always had a screw loose up there, as you know. But when news of Khan's trial began circulating through every media outlet on the planet, I knew I had to make another stab at it. Afterall, it appeared you didn't want anything to do with the Augment, even though you were carrying his child."

If it weren't for her security officers and the cuffs around her wrists, Madelyn would have jumped the man where he stood, which at this point was just a few feet from her face, still wearing a light smile. The way he talked so nonchalantly about the last month, which had been by far the most trying time of her life, made her so angry. She felt her face growing slightly hot as she fought to contain herself, feeling the muscles in her neck and shoulders tense, straining against her cuffs if only to release her frustrations on them. If Khan had been in her place, she could only imagine how quickly he could have broken free of them. She let the metal clasps cut into her skin, wincing, feeling herself relax only partially as the man continued on and on about his plans for a new breed of super soldier, how Gallagher had been a trial run and ultimately a failure that proved what still needed to be done, all while he strode casually about the office, tinkering with things on his desk, running his fingers along the white stubble of his jaw. Whoever this man was, he clearly wasn't concerned with intimidating her.

"I will admit it was a lack of foresight on my part not to see that Gallagher had an obsession with you from the start, made worse of course by your affair with Khan. If I had paid closer attention, knowing how important this experiment was going to become, I would have chosen someone else to take the first dose. I do apologize for all of that business again, but I had no way of knowing what sort of psychological effect Dahl's work could have. It was most interesting to read his last report, before I lost contact with him. I assume he is dead by now. No loss really. For once, Khan did my work for me, and I'm most grateful for that. Be sure to tell him if you ever see him again, which may be sooner than you think if my intel is right."

Madelyn could hardly believe what came out of this man's mouth. He spoke as though she wasn't even in the room, and she wondered if he even meant to spill all of this information. She eyed him as he came towards her and took her chin between his thumb and index finger, his eyes sweeping over her as though she was some sort of specimen to be examined.

"Khan does have excellent taste, I'll give him that."

She was relieved when he let her go and turned away, clearly uninterested in her in the way that Dahl had sickeningly been. Maybe this man was more interested in her as an asset rather than a scientific plaything.

She listened with disgust as he confirmed her suspicion, explaining the details of how a group of scientists he had recently contracted were going to be studying her for a length of time, obviously under the radar of the Federation since that sort of genetic testing had been strictly prohibited after the Eugenics Wars.

_Oh, obviously_, she thought, worrying on her upper lip to keep from retorting out loud. Frankly it surprised her that he revealed this to her, but then she realized it didn't matter as he clearly believed he owned her now.

She was beginning to understand a little of what had triggered Khan to take action against Starfleet and Admiral Marcus. Being considered nothing more than an accessory to someone else's actions, yet held and prized for what his mind, and in Madelyn's case what her body could offer. This man really thought she was some sort of circus act to be gaped at, and when the time was right, to be used and abused in ways she shuddered to imagine, knowing only how Dr. Dahl had treated her.

Finally, he was done talking, giving her a satisfied smirk, and dismissed them all. She was glad to be out of his presence as his security officers escorted her from his office, back out across the catwalk and down a few levels in the lift. A few minutes silent walk down a more secure corridor and she saw they were in the brig. She was guided into a cell similar to the one on the Enterprise which had once held Khan, and then she was left alone.

Not caring whether or not she was being watched on some hidden security feed, she found herself sinking onto the cell's solitary bench and burying her face in her hands for the second time that day. If Khan was coming, as the man had hinted that he might be, then she needed him more than ever now. She disbelieved that Janeway would come and seek her out, and even if she did, there was nothing the captain would be able to do to help her now.

After a moment of rumination, she realized how everything was so clear now, in the worst sort of way. Whoever that man was, he'd had no qualms with revealing everything to her, making his egotistical belief that he controlled her painfully clear, but as a result, everything about Khan's entrance into her life the day her grandfather was murdered suddenly made more sense. Somehow Khan had known she was a target, before she had even known why that was the case, not that she would've understood it or even wanted to believe it.

In a way that only Khan would have been able to accomplish it, he had successfully, albeit temporarily protected the one member of his family that Admiral Marcus hadn't been able to hold over his head, and finally Madelyn wanted nothing more than to see him again and hold him and tangle her fingers in his hair and bury her face in his neck to keep anyone else from hearing her cry. Instead she was locked in a cell under the control of the man Khan had tried to protect her from before she'd even known she needed protection.

"Madelyn?"

She looked up from the floor. She almost couldn't believe it. Janeway and Bones stood on the other side of the glass, the latter frowning so hard Madelyn wasn't sure whether he was concerned or just angry. She stood up and walked over to the glass, feeling like an animal in a zoo. This was how Khan had felt, she realized, and felt the familiar ache in her chest at the thought.

"You ok, Madelyn?" said McCoy, his eyes softening as she stopped right behind the glass barrier between them. She realized her cheeks were wet and she quickly wiped them dry, attempting a slight smile.

"I'm fine, just tired."

_And lonely and at the end of my rope_, she thought. She knew it passed across her face.

"I managed to talk to one of the commanding officers here," said Janeway. "He said he might be able to have you transferred to San Francisco, but he has to get permission first."

Madelyn pressed her lips together. "I don't think that's going to happen."

Bones crossed his arms. "What do you mean?"

Madelyn found herself wringing her fingers in front of them. "I met the man who thinks he's controlling everything. I'm not going anywhere unless it's to a lab somewhere outside of Federation space."

At this Bones' expression turned angry, but he didn't say anything.

"Surely there's a way we can get a court order," said Janeway. "You haven't even had a trial—"

"You don't understand. This guy claimed he helped Admiral Marcus keep his operations a secret. If he's got that much power, I don't see how you can help me."

"So you're just gonna give up? Dammit Madelyn, after everything you've been through—"

"Bones."

He stopped and looked at her, shaking his head. "What?"

"You need to find Khan."

"Yeah I think Jim's more interested in killing him than asking him for help. He's still pissed off about Spock, and I don't blame him."

Madelyn felt a moment of hopelessness when she remembered Khan had taken the Vulcan to help him find his crew. He could literally be halfway across the galaxy by now. "Do you know anything about where his crew was put? Because if you do—"

"You think if I knew anything I'd still be here? I'm as clueless as you, and unless that pointy-eared bastard lied to us, he doesn't know shit either."

"Bones, please—"

"If what you're telling me is true, then there's nothing I can do here, Madelyn, I'm sorry."

"Doctor McCoy."

Janeway's firm voice cut in between them and they both looked at her. Bones glanced at Madelyn apologetically but she didn't respond.

"Madelyn, I found this in my office on the Entente before we arrived. I've never seen it before, but I had a suspicion, so…" She slid something out of her pocket and held it up to the glass. Madelyn felt her throat constrict as she gazed at the photo, the same photo Khan had used before to show her he wanted her trust. She felt tears sting her eyes and shut them briefly, putting a hand on the glass as though she could reach through and touch the photo. Then she suddenly smiled, letting out a breathy laugh. Before he'd taken Spock, Khan had somehow found a way to get into Janeway's office, and had left that damn photo just to remind Madelyn that he wasn't going to forget her.

"Madelyn?" Janeway frowned slightly as she continued to smile.

"Hold onto it for me, please," she replied quietly.

Janeway nodded, and slid the precious photograph back into her pocket.

"What is it?" asked Bones.

Before Madelyn could reply, the lights in the room flickered and went dark, and the barrier that kept her cell locked powered down, leaving a wide-open space. Janeway's hand went instinctively to the phaser that should have been on her belt as she and Bones glanced around, while a ray of hope shot through Madelyn. She quickly stepped out of the cell.

"It's Khan."


	36. Chapter 36

_A/N: Sorry for the delay in this chapter's arrival. I had a little bit of an issue writing this chapter for whatever reason. As a writer, sometimes you get to a point in the story where you need to tread carefully, otherwise you risk screwing things up big time and letting the reader down because the plot just decided to screw with your head, if that makes any sense._

_Thanks for all of your feedback and reviews, and don't be afraid to continue to provide that wonderful constructive criticism I value so much as a writer. Enjoy!_

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX **

* * *

Khan powered down the shuttle after landing in a small, unused hangar on Starbase One. After he sealed the hangar's door by quickly hacking into the station's systems, the hangar almost immediately went dark. Faint emergency lights in red and blue tints flickered on, barely lighting up the immediate area. Khan did another quick check through the shuttle's computer, discovering that the entirety of Starbase One's power had been shut off, leaving only life support and artificial gravity to hold the place together. The entire station had also gone into lock down. If Khan needed to leave at a moment's notice, it would be harder than he'd planned. A piece of him warned him someone knew he'd arrived, and he briefly cursed himself for not being more cautious when he hacked into the starbase's systems in the first place.

Suspicious of the timing of the outage, Khan readied his handcrafted phaser and headed for the shuttle's hatch. He paused briefly to consider Spock, who watched him silently through a bruised and battered face, dotted in dried green blood. Leaving Spock there alone would only give the Vulcan an opportunity to escape, potentially putting Khan back in square one, and tackling the entire Starbase alone as someone's potential target was too great a risk. Without a word, Khan broke the ties around Spock's wrists, then held out his phaser. He'd designed it so the kill setting only responded to his own biometrics. He wouldn't have to worry about Spock backstabbing him.

The Vulcan raised an eyebrow and took the offered weapon gingerly, his free hand kneading the raw skin on his wrist.

"Cross me and I will not hesitate to kill you," Khan said as he retrieved another phaser he'd stowed away in the shuttle just in case.

"What do you intend to accomplish with this?" Spock asked. Khan noticed how the Vulcan kept a careful amount of space between the two of them as they climbed from the shuttle.

"I'm following a lead. Do you know anything about this facility other than its use as a transportation hub for Starfleet?"

"That is what it is," Spock replied. "Do you have a reason to believe otherwise?"

Khan considered telling him what Owen Gallagher had confessed before he left the man for dead at the Io Facility, but the thought of allowing Spock to acquire the same amount of information as Khan was currently clinging to didn't sit well with the Augment. He would do anything to get his crew back, and that included killing Spock if it came down to it, or anyone who crossed paths with him.

A collection of armed soldiers had entered the hangar as they spoke and were now firing on their position. Khan and Spock pulled back behind the shuttle, but when the Vulcan prepared to fire, Khan motioned for him to wait. They needed to draw them closer, for more accuracy, especially since Spock's phaser wouldn't actually kill. Khan reminded himself again that the only reason he had done this was to minimize any chance of the Vulcan successfully turning on him.

After a moment the firing ceased, and the shouting of the group's commander amplified as multiple bootsteps came closer. Khan waited until the soldiers were nearly on top of their position, then signaled Spock. They ran out into the open, firing blast after blast until the eight men had fallen in seconds. With their bodies momentarily stunned and helpless on the hangar floor, Spock and Khan relieved them of their weapons. Khan noted they were not wearing typical Starfleet uniforms or any sort of insignia that could give away their allegiance, but rather plain grey and black, noticeably similar in design to the uniforms worn by the private security forces who had patrolled the underground bunker in California.

Khan stood over the group's commander and held his phaser at point blank range to the man's face, prodding his chest with his boot to get his attention. The man groaned, blinking rapidly to bring himself back to his senses, tensing when he saw the phaser.

"Who ordered you to attack us?" Khan pressed.

The commander held up his hands in a defensive posture, eying Khan's phaser. "I get orders from my superior officer. I don't know who gives him orders."

Khan took the commander's shirt collar in his fist, pressing the phaser into his forehead. "Who runs this station?"

"How should I know? I'm just a contractor."

"Who hired you?" Khan's tone was threatening, and he was anxious to get moving.

"The station head has an office in the center of the station. But we're locked down. You won't be able to—"

Khan shot the man in the face and stepped over his body, motioning for Spock to follow him.

Lockdowns had never stopped him before.

* * *

With the station's power almost completely out, Madelyn easily made her way out of the brig, followed closely by McCoy and Janeway. They walked quickly down the main passageway that Madelyn had been previously escorted through by station security. She knew to some extent where she was going, and earlier she'd seen hints of her objective's location, only this time she wasn't restricted by handcuffs and a phaser in her back.

A few people rushed past them, giving them little attention, chattering nervously amongst themselves, some complaining they couldn't get back to their ships. Madelyn wondered if she should ask Janeway if they should return to the Entente, but getting to a room where she could scour the station's security footage was more important right now. She needed to find Khan, and if Janeway and Bones were sticking with her, she wasn't going to complain.

Feeling like she was in the right section of the station, Madelyn started glancing into every open door she passed, but so far she passed only rentable living quarters and the occasional lounge room or office. She paused to tell Bones and Janeway something, but as soon as she opened her mouth, phaser fire struck the wall next to her. She instinctively ducked, whirling around to see a group of eight or nine armed officers running towards them. Janeway gave a cry as more phaser blasts hissed around them, and McCoy pulled the captain back through the nearest open door, followed closely by Madelyn. She quickly hit the keypad inside to send the doors hissing shut to firmly lock in place. The door was beat on a few times from the other side, and when it was clear the doors weren't opening, Madelyn let out her breath.

She turned to see Janeway sitting on one of the numerous cushioned couches in the room and clutching her left arm. Bones knelt over her, grumbling about not having the proper equipment to deal with burns, his hands quickly forming a makeshift bandage from a piece of Janeway's shirt. Madelyn quickly went over to see how badly the captain had been injured, worrying on her lower lip when she caught sight of the blackened skin beaded with bright red blood, the captain's shirt partially seared into the wound.

Seeing the look on Madelyn's face, Janeway shrugged. "I'll be fine. I've had worse."

Madelyn could only imagine, but then, so had she.

Suddenly there was a loud, crackling boom that shook the floor. A fiery glow from outside drew their collective attention to the window. Madelyn found herself standing when she realized she was watching a massive explosion tear through one of Starbase One's docking hubs.

Even as McCoy and Janeway tried to verbally make sense of what was happening, Madelyn just knew. This wasn't right. Khan wouldn't set off a massive explosion like this, not if he knew she was onboard the same station. The doubt in her mind swelled as she wondered whether the power outage wasn't caused by someone else, someone who had something devious up their sleeve.

Bones came up to the window beside her. They watched as chunks of debris were flung kilometers into space, spinning into black oblivion. "What the hell, Madelyn? You sure you want to find Khan?"

She glanced at him, unsure if she was just trying to confirm her own doubts or trying to make sense of what was happening. "This isn't Khan," she said.

"Then who the hell is it? How do you even know?"

She returned her gaze to the window, pressing her lips together. "He wouldn't blow up half a space station for no reason, especially not if he knew I was onboard."

"He didn't have a problem crashing the Vengeance into San Francisco with you onboard," the doctor replied.

Madelyn wanted to give McCoy one of his own looks, but instead kept her eyes fixed on the destruction outside. The Vengeance had been different. That had been before things between the two of them had changed. And Khan had just been betrayed. He'd thought he'd lost everything. He'd wanted nothing more than to take revenge at the expense of everyone else. But even then, she reminded herself, he had saved her life during the aftermath. She had just refused to accept they still had a connection, after everything.

It had been so complicated. And now it was so simple.

"Bones, this isn't Khan."

"It could be Klingons," Janeway said from the couch behind them. "Admiral Marcus tried to start a war with them. We don't know how much his actions could have succeeded in provoking them."

She could be right, but for Madelyn, the timing of the power outage was too strange, considering everything had gone down _before_ the explosion. It was almost as if someone was preparing the station for an attack they knew was coming.

But why?

McCoy's voice ripped through her thoughts as he spoke into his communicator.

"Dammit, Jim, where are you?! Half of Starbase One just went up in smoke!"

_"Yeah, Bones, listen, I'm headed for the Enterprise. She's docked on the spoke across from the one that just blew up."_

"Thank god. I was afraid she was gone."

_"Nah, but the whole station is on lockdown and that's not the weird part."_

"What do ya mean?"

_"The lockdown was initiated before the explosion, but after the power was cut. Like someone knew what was about to happen."_

The three of them exchanged glances. Madelyn was becoming more and more convinced that something suspicious was going on.

"Captain Kirk, this is Captain Janeway. Can you get to the Enterprise from where you are?"

_"I can try, if I run fast enough. This place is crawling with private security. I've never seen so many on this station; usually it's just Starfleet people. There's one problem though."_

"What's that?" Madelyn asked.

_"Madelyn, is that you?"_

"Yeah, Jim, she's with us. Now what's the problem?"

_"Well there's no way to get the Enterprise undocked with so many systems shut off like this. We'd risk tearing her hull apart."_

"But if you get onboard, you could at least beam us out of here," said Madelyn.

"_Wait, where are you—woah, gotta run! Security's on my ass. Kirk out!"_

The communication link was cut and McCoy lowered the device without a word.

"We should head back to the Entente," said Janeway suddenly, standing from the couch, still cradling her burned arm. "The couplings holding her in place were an older design. We might be able to retract them manually."

"You wanna go out there with security runnin' around shooting everything that moves?" McCoy retorted.

"Captain, I can't do that either," Madelyn said. "If Khan is on this station, I need to find him before more people die."

"Madelyn, if he's here, every security officer on this damn station is gonna be looking for him," said McCoy.

She clenched her jaw. "I know. Which is why I need to find him. Something weird is going on."

Janeway was shaking her head. "How do you even know he's here?"

"I don't. But if we can find a security station, I can find out."

McCoy was about to respond when there was another loud boom that shook the lounge violently. Madelyn caught herself from falling over on the nearest piece of furniture, glancing out the window as another fireball vaporized into the vacuum of space. This one had severed the already damaged spoke from the station's hub, sending it floating into the void in a mist of debris.

"Either way, we can't stay here," said Janeway. "Eventually they'll override the lock sequence and get in here, or this part of the station is being blown up next. I don't want to take any chances."

McCoy frowned hard, glancing between the two of them. Madelyn was determined to make him understand.

"Just help me find a way to view security camera footage," she said. "If he's here…"

She didn't want to say out loud what she was feeling, that something was very wrong with this situation, that the fact she'd been let out of her cell on purpose made a lot more sense if Khan was here and someone wanted them both. And that if that someone really wanted them, they were going to violent lengths to obtain their prize.

McCoy finally conceded, and Janeway gave a firm nod.

"We'll have to be fast," she said.

Madelyn couldn't help but smile. "No problem."

* * *

A quick glance out the window of one of Starbase One's corridors told Khan everything he needed to know when the explosions occurred. They were under attack from someone who had rigged the station to explode from the inside, and coupled with the convenient power outage, it was very suspicious timing. There was no sign of an exterior threat and no signals being sent through the emergency lighting that could indicate anything else was going on, and though Khan was having trouble making sense of _how_, he knew he had just walked into a trap.

The sudden weight of his mistake, his desperation to find his crew, weighed on him with each passing step. Whoever Owen Gallagher had been working for, they were on this station and thought they could corner him by leading him on with the promise of finding his crew. He should have paid a decent amount of respect to Spock when the Vulcan had said he didn't understand why his crew would be onboard this station. And much to Khan's hidden displeasure, he and Spock worked well together, taking out every single security officer that happened to find themselves in their path.

They made their way quickly and easily into the station's central corridor system, which on a normal day would have allowed massive amounts of cargo and crewmembers to traverse its gargantuan size with ease. Due to the lockdown, the corridors were empty, save for the occasional unlucky security officer.

Khan's attention was momentarily drawn to a slightly familiar male voice in the distance. He saw that Spock had heard it too and was prepared to defend it when it came charging around the corner. Khan felt his brow tighten as Captain James Kirk came running towards them, holding a communicator in one, being chased by several private security. Khan and Spock easily dispatched his pursuers as Kirk skidded to a halt in front of them.

Spock shared Khan's confused expression as he stared down at the captain of the Enterprise, who was leaning on his knees to catch his breath. "Captain? I do not understand—"

"Spock. Khan." Kirk acknowledged them both between breaths, his expression growing increasingly confused. "What the hell?"

"It's an unfortunate story you wouldn't want to hear, Kirk," Khan replied neutrally. "But I would ask you the same thing."

Still breathing hard, Kirk waved a hand through the air as if to brush off the implied question. "Do you know what's happening?"

"It appears that someone within this starbase is doing a poor job of trying to destroy it," said Khan, unwilling to point out the inconsistencies that had led him to the conclusion it was all for him.

"That was my conclusion also," said Spock.

"Are the others here with you?" Khan asked, anxious to confirm his suspicions that were growing by the second.

"Yeah, the Entente was docked a few hours ago. Orders."

"Where is Madelyn?"

Eyeing Khan suddenly, Kirk seemed to hesitate. "She was arrested when we arrived. Seemed totally cool with it, like she knew."

Khan felt his jaw stiffen, his fist tightening around his phaser until the handle bent in his palm. It seemed everything he'd tried to avoid for so long had been inevitable.

"But she's with Bones and Janeway now. I just talked to them."

A pulse of hope shot through him, but he contained his expression, glaring hard at Kirk.

"Where are they?"

"How should I know? This station is huge."

"Captain, perhaps we should return to the Enterprise. We would be able to use the life signs detector to find Dr. McCoy's signature, which would lead us to all three of them."

"Thank you, Spock. As always your input is much appreciated," Kirk said, half smirking at Khan.

"Mr. Spock is not going anywhere, Kirk," Khan said, raising his phaser to meet Kirk's eyes as a friendly reminder. He wasn't about to lose his last asset to finding his crew, though his priorities had once again been turned on their head now that he knew Madelyn was somewhere nearby.

Kirk immediately tensed, catching Spock's gaze. Khan saw the Vulcan raise his phaser out of the corner of his eye and braced himself for the stun blast. Instead, he was thrown to the floor as the station shuddered with another blast. The ceiling shuddered above them, and screams were heard in the distance. Khan pulled himself up just as Spock and Kirk leaped to their feet and ran off down the corridor. Khan's upper lip curled. The Vulcan had gotten away again. He considered going after them and sending a phaser blast set to kill, but he knew he needed to focus. The station hub was in the other direction, and Madelyn was still somewhere onboard.

* * *

Madelyn, McCoy, and Janeway had no problem finding a usable security console. Located at the intersection of three major corridors, it offered them a wide view of the surrounding area with enough space to hide should more private security make an appearance. They felt the floor shudder as another explosion ripped through another spoke, upping the damaged spoke count to two.

"It's like someone deliberately built this place to explode," McCoy exclaimed as Madelyn and Janeway knelt over the various monitors and consoles that would allow them into the security feed. Much to both Madelyn's frustration and hopefulness, it gave them access to the entire station, and because it was running on emergency power, required no identification to use.

"Have you tried contacting Kirk again?" Madelyn said, glancing up at the doctor who was wearing a perpetual frown.

"Yeah, but something's jamming the connection. I can't get a lock on anyone's communicators."

"Well, let's hope he makes it to the Enterprise before these blasts do," said Janeway. She used one hand to scroll through the list of open feeds, while Madelyn scanned each one, looking for any sign of Khan.

"What are you gonna do if you find him?"

Madelyn glanced up at McCoy again, noticing the slight smirk on his face, even as the walls shuddered to another distant boom.

She honestly didn't know. She just needed to know where he was, know that he was safe, that he wasn't about to walk right into a deathtrap. She knew Khan could take care of himself, but she still felt a need to make sure. It may have seemed irrational, but the look on McCoy's face told her he knew exactly why she was doing this.

"Wait, stop." She put a hand on Janeway's, scrolling back up to one feed in particular. She pulled it up again, just catching sight of Khan's black head disappearing out of the frame. She quickly scrolled to the next feed and watched as Khan jogged down the corridor, phaser in hand, alone.

"Dammit, where's Spock?"

Madelyn swallowed, not willing to consider the idea that crossed her mind. She pulled up the information pane about that camera, glancing at the location. Her heart sank into her gut.

Khan was headed for the heart of the station, and if Madelyn's suspicions were right, he was running right into a trap.


	37. Chapter 37

_**A/N: I want to apologize for not updating sooner. There was an emergency involving a friend last Friday (Sept 14), and as a result I was unable to write or use the internet much at all. I know some of you loved it when I updated almost every other day, but shit happens right?**_

_**Anyway, here's another chapter (FINALLY), so please enjoy and don't forget to review!**_

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

* * *

Madelyn had two options.

She could let Khan go, possibly to never see him again, but in turn save herself and hopefully be safely beamed aboard the Enterprise or the Entente, whichever ship could be accessed quicker.

Or she could stop him.

A quick glance at the security console again told her she could catch up with him, if she left now. A hand on her arm made her flinch and step back. She knew McCoy could read everything on her face, and his own expression told her he didn't like what he saw.

"That's him," said Janeway, still watching the security feeds.

"Bones, you have to let me go," Madelyn said softly.

"You really wanna do this?" The doctor's enduring grimace matched his words.

"I need to do this. Of all people, I thought you'd understand."

"Yeah, but I don't want you going out there alone."

"I can catch up to him before he gets there."

"Gets where?" said McCoy and Janeway in unison.

"The guy who ordered my arrest. I think he's trying to capture Khan. This whole thing has been a trap."

They stared at her.

"Why the hell would anyone want to do that?" said McCoy after a moment.

Now Madelyn was the one to stare. "You're kidding me! You do realize what kind of an asset Khan could be to someone with a lot of money and power who just wants more power, right? I don't want to think about what could be done to him if…" She trailed off as realization dawned on McCoy's face. She made her way around the console and out of the security station. "If I go now, I can catch up with him and stop him. You two just get to the Enterprise, or the Entente, whichever."

McCoy caught her arm again before she could get away, and she paused, grateful his hand didn't linger.

"What sort of trap are you talking about? How do we know they won't just kill him, and you?"

She looked at the doctor firmly. "I don't. But I'm not about to just let them kill Khan if I can do something about it."

"Wait." Janeway straightened and put herself between the two of them. "I don't care what your excuse is. You're not going alone."

"But your arm—"

"I've had worse remember? Besides you need someone who knows their way around this station, and I'm sure Dr. McCoy would rather return to the Enterprise than run around this place while it gets blown to bits."

Inwardly grateful that she wasn't going to have to do this alone, Madelyn gave the captain a faint smile, then glanced at McCoy. Seeing that he was being given little choice, his expression fell but he nodded to them both.

"Don't you dare get shot again, Captain," said Bones. "And watch yourself, Madelyn."

She nodded and took off down the corridor with Janeway at her heels. As they ran, the captain quickly explained the fastest way for them to get to the station's hub. This corridor would lead them to a wider corridor where they could take a narrow maintenance ladder up to the top level. Then it would be a simple matter of running towards the hub until they found Khan.

The corridors were empty. People had been evacuated, and there weren't security guards anywhere. When they exited the maintenance tunnel, Janeway suggested they obtain phasers from a nearby storage room. Madelyn shook her head. She didn't have time for that. Janeway told her to keep going, to stop Khan. She'd catch up. Madelyn hesitated, her eyes lingering on the captain's injured arm.

"I don't want to leave you alone," she said. Janeway almost rolled her eyes.

"You'd be surprised what I can do with one phaser," the captain replied. "Now go."

Madelyn hesitated another step, then turned and continued towards the hub. As the station vibrated from the force of another blast, she hoped she wasn't too late.

* * *

After breaking into the main security office of Starbase One and dealing with its occupants, Khan discovered that Madelyn was indeed onboard and running at full speed towards the station's hub. He admired the determination on her face until he pinpointed her location. They were at exact opposite sides of the hub, and if she was looking for him, there was no chance she could reach him before being caught by the heavy security he was sure guarded the hub's central room. Furious at the scenario they were both about to be caught in, Khan sprinted from the room.

The last time he'd run this fast, Spock had been pursuing him through the streets of San Francisco. His goal then had been to escape capture, and he had failed. He couldn't afford to fail this time. As the starbase continued to be pummeled with interior blasts, he was becoming more and more convinced that someone had planned all of this on purpose, and that Owen Gallagher had somehow known.

If Khan knew Madelyn well enough, and he knew her actions could often be predictably stubborn and foolhardy despite her good intentions, then she would be headed right for the center of the station as well, particularly the upper level. The upper level of the hub, as Khan had discovered from his brief but enlightening hack into the station's systems, housed a spacious, upscale office, most likely the center of command for someone important. This was the person Khan needed to see, and interrogate if necessary.

The problem lay in precisely what Khan had hoped Madelyn wouldn't do. If the station wasn't being blown to pieces, then he could have cared less about her location; he simply needed to know she was safe, and when she was on the Entente, she'd been safe. But the very fact that she was pursuing the same location as he was, and probably in a feeble attempt to stop him, made him all the more uneasy.

None of this was happening by coincidence. There were very clear signs of prior planning, and the orchestration and timing of it all was so glaringly obvious, Khan would have laughed out loud had it not been for the position he found himself in. Madelyn was pushing them both right into a trap that would only work if the two of them were together, and she didn't even know it. If he knew for certain he would be alone when he arrived, things would go differently. But he wasn't going to be alone, and for the first time in a long time, being alone would have been a serious advantage for him.

But he couldn't allow Madelyn to walk into this alone either. Whatever was coming next, he would be at her side even if it meant foregoing his original plan. Even if his crew was onboard Starbase One, that would mean little if the explosions continued at the rate they were. There wouldn't even be a Starbase One before long.

He slowed his pace as he came out into what appeared to be the central atrium at the top of the station's hub. Glancing up, he saw the wide glass dome that offered a sweeping view of space; large chunks of debris marred the view. He imagined over a third of Starbase One had been destroyed by now. He pulled his eyes down again when he heard light, swift footsteps, and strode across the catwalk towards the sound. Madelyn appeared through a door on the other side, running towards him. Confusion swept across her face when she saw him. When they met in the center of the catwalk, she reached out to grab his arm, attempting to pull him back the way she'd come.

"We need to get out of here right now," she said.

Khan heard the tremor in her voice, but didn't move to follow her as every door that could have allowed them to escape had been sealed shut. Madelyn heard the hiss and turned her head to confirm what caused fear to sharpen the soft angles of her face. Then she turned back to him.

"Khan…"

He pulled out his phaser, gaze flitting all around the atrium. "You should have stayed with the others," he replied.

"I was coming to stop you!"

Khan looked at her with a hint of appreciation. She'd wanted to be there with him, whether she was safe or not. He realized that every time she'd made a conscious decision to not be with him in the past, things had not gone in her favor, or had completely backfired. For all her tenacity and doggedness, completely set on remaining independent of him, she had brought herself right back to him because she knew.

She knew that, without him, someone would eventually come along to take advantage of her again. Without him, she had no way of protecting herself from the people he had made sure from the start could not harm her. And maybe, she'd decided that she finally felt something more for him than she was willing to admit out loud. Loving someone was a simple concept in Khan's own mind, but deducing it in the eyes and words of others was a far more complicated thing. It was her behavior, her one simple action of returning to him of her own free will that screamed at him what she felt. And he realized for one brief moment, even with his crew still missing, that maybe he wouldn't have to be alone forever.

The very fact that she was there with him now, her hand latched firmly around his forearm, proved to him that she truly did want him. She could easily have left him, escaped on one of various ships as Starbase One exploded around them. That would have been ideal and she would have been safe. But instead she'd chosen to come back, despite every obvious sign that in doing so she would put herself into further jeopardy.

"It's too late, Madelyn," he said quietly. He glanced down as her slender hand slid down his arm and wrapped around his palm. Her eyes jumped from his face to movement behind him, and he followed her gaze. Astonishment shook him to his core as he saw two men enter the room surrounded by guards. He didn't recognize the older one, but the younger one was completely unmistakable.

"Joaquin." The name slipped off his tongue in disbelief.

"Khan," was the chiseled young Augment's deep reply, dripping with implications that Khan immediately disliked.

Joaquin Weiss had once served Khan during his reign as his personal bodyguard. When the Eugenics Wars drew to a close with the Augments on the losing side, and Khan saw it necessary to help as many of his people escape from Earth as he could, Joaquin defected. He'd believed Khan to be too weak and unfit to rule. But just when they had been backed into a corner, Joaquin had turned up again, seeking forgiveness, realizing that he could not live among the humans who sought to destroy them all. Khan granted Joaquin's request, and so he was also placed into a cryotube aboard the Botany Bay, along with Khan and the others.

When Admiral Marcus had first woken Khan, the Augment had fought back, killing three doctors, seven guards, and two nurses. Marcus had in turn ordered twelve of Khan's people murdered in their sleep by shutting down their cryotubes, including Joaquin's. Khan had believed the man to be dead, and yet here he was standing in front of him and looking very unpleasant.

Still gripping Madelyn's hand, Khan immediately put himself between her and his former bodyguard, even as they were surrounded by security guards. He knew she was strong, but not strong enough to withstand an attack from an Augment like Joaquin. He remembered what Gallagher had done to her while he'd been drugged up on Dahl's synthetic augmentation serum. The bruises on her face were beginning to fade but there was still disquiet in her eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" Khan asked carefully. He didn't want to provoke Joaquin, as he knew the younger Augment was potentially stronger than him.

Joaquin's mouth curled into a smirk. "I had wondered how long it would take to get you here."

"Why are you destroying this Starbase?"

"Fireworks, to celebrate your arrival. I've been looking forward to this for some time now. To be honest I didn't think you'd come. I needed your girlfriend here just to make sure you would."

Khan's brow tightened. There was an arrogant light in Joaquin's eyes that he didn't recognize.

"I never did understand what you saw in her. I'd hoped she'd turn out some interesting results, but after I received Hans Dahl's last report—_before you killed him_—I realized I had my hopes up too high. She might have Augment blood in her, but she's a mutt by our standards." The corner of Joaquin's mouth lifted as he raked his eyes over Madelyn. "She must be good to fuck or you wouldn't be keeping her."

Khan restrained his angry reaction to Joaquin's ignorant comment. The younger Augment was speaking as though he'd been instigating things for some time. Could he have been behind Dahl's work on Gallagher? Clenching his jaw, Khan knew this was not the time for an interrogation. He would focus on his original intent, and save his less pressing questions for later.

"Where are our people, Joaquin?"

"Oh, they're safe. Don't worry about them. But I can see I need to explain some things." Joaquin motioned to the older man standing quietly beside him. By the upset look on Madelyn's face, she'd seen him before. "Thomas here woke me up after our people were put back into storage. He told me all about your little escapade with the Vengeance, about the late Admiral Marcus, about Madelyn McGivers. We're working together, Thomas and I, but unlike your situation with Marcus, no one's life is being threatened—right now."

Khan saw Joaquin's eyes narrow slightly as he finished his sentence, and he knew immediately he couldn't trust this man that in another lifetime he'd once considered his closest friend. Joaquin was pulling all the strings here, and Thomas, standing silently, his gaze shifting between all three of them, quite obviously had lost his control over Joaquin. The moment Joaquin didn't need Thomas and his connections anymore, Thomas would be dead, and Khan knew without a doubt that it would be the same for him, and for Madelyn, should he decide to join Joaquin. Not surprisingly, this was Joaquin's next query and Khan only gave him a cold stare from under his eyelids.

"Is the idea of working with me too much for your ego to handle, Khan? Or is it because you'd rather settle down with your half-breed girlfriend and shut out the rest of the universe forever? It would be a pity for so much potential work to go to waste. We'd lose what you fought so hard to protect from Marcus."

Khan felt every muscle in his body tense, his fingers squeezing the handle of his phaser until they formed indentations. Set to kill, it could do enough damage to Joaquin to incapacitate him, leaving Khan and Madelyn enough time to escape. He knew Joaquin wouldn't destroy the entire Starbase without leaving himself with an escape ship.

"What would we lose, Joaquin?" Khan almost felt as though they were jesting.

Joaquin's smirk disappeared. "There are certain members of your crew I have no desire to see or speak to again. I'll have no issue pulling the plug on them if you force me to."

"You wouldn't dare. There are only seventy-three of us left."

Khan knew, however, that there could quite possibly be more. Among the twelve Augment men and women Admiral Marcus claimed to have killed, Joaquin was one of them. How many more of them were awake and working in the shadows with Joaquin? Had Joaquin turned them all against him?

"Come on, Khan. You know that's not true."

Khan decided it would be better to egg him on, get as much information as he could. The more data he had, the easier it would be to take his system down.

Khan loosened his grip on Madelyn's hand and took a step forward so that he was face to face with his former bodyguard. "What sort of _work_ is it?"

Joaquin's smirk returned. "The work we were doing before we were defeated. Anything it takes to bring the world peace, and in the process, prevent things like _her_ from happening again." He glanced over Khan's shoulder at Madelyn. "You may recall Owen Gallagher. A failed trial run, but the first of many more to come, I assure you. That's why I need your help."

Khan almost scoffed at the idea of creating more of what had driven Gallagher to become a monster. Augments needed to be created as babies, raised through childhood, and even then some needed to be carefully looked after for a certain amount of time to ensure they did not find every excuse to snap the neck of someone who had mildly irritated them. It was every Augment's curse, and Khan had spent years cultivating his ability to control it. His control had allowed him to embrace it more fully when he needed it most. What Joaquin was proposing was to create an army of untamed animals, not highly trained superior beings like himself.

"That was another time," said Khan. "The only wars being fought now are between other species on other planets. They are not worth our time, and Earth is at peace."

"Only because you managed to stop Marcus. What if you hadn't? The Klingons would be at our door and you would have one measly ship to fight them with."

Khan dug his fingernails into the palm of his hand. "Marcus foolishly believed that war was inevitable, and as a result decided he should instigate it himself, if only to give himself a tactical advantage. His mistake lay in his belief that the Klingons could even defeat the Federation. The only reason he ever progressed with his plans was because of me. So tell me, Joaquin, would the Klingons even have a reason to attack Earth if Marcus had never woken any of us in the first place?"

Joaquin studied Khan for a moment. "I see. So you admit to colluding with a warmonger."

"You and I both know that was never the case. It is not 1996 anymore, Joaquin, and I will not pretend that circumstances haven't changed."

Khan stared at Joaquin with mere centimeters between them. The younger's gaze did not falter, but merely narrowed before he turned away and staunchly ran his fingers through his thick brown hair. Turning again, Joaquin breathed a heavy sigh.

"You really disappoint me, Khan. I've been looking forward to our reunion ever since I learned that you were alive and walking. Together again, we could accomplish so much."

Khan tilted his chin downwards, watching as Joaquin began to walk a circle around them. Khan put a hand on Madelyn's arm even as she sidled away from the younger Augment.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this," said Joaquin.

The younger Augment lunged forward, taking Madelyn's neck in his hand. Khan reacted with lighting speed, bringing the butt of his phaser down on Joaquin's head. The force of Joaquin's pained reaction threw Madelyn to the catwalk floor. Out of the corner of his eye, Khan saw her legs sliding off the edge until her body half-dangled in midair, the floor some seven levels below. She grappled for a handhold and managed to catch the bottom of the catwalk's railing, stopping her descent. Joaquin whirled around, a hand on the back of his head, his eyes raging. Khan sent a phaser blast at him, set to kill. Joaquin was hurled backwards into the railing and crumpled to the floor, a smoking hole burned through his clothing revealing a seared spot on his chest.

For a moment, the young Augment didn't move, and it was enough time for Khan to deal with the handful of private security that had momentarily backed off when Joaquin attacked. Khan kept Madelyn in his sight, but she had managed to pull herself up, hooking her leg around another piece of railing, her other leg still dangling. She was watching Joaquin, and Khan knew the young Augment wouldn't stay down for long.

With the security guards taken care of, some tossed over the railing to the floor a hundred feet below, Khan quickly helped Madelyn to her feet, though she didn't really need his help. Visibly shaken, she glanced back at Joaquin who was regaining consciousness, then at the bodies of the guards strewn around them.

"Where's Thomas?" she said suddenly.

Khan remembered the older man who had stood so silently by while Joaquin talked and talked, and he turned to see him running away towards a door at the opposite end of the catwalk. Madelyn followed his gaze, then bent down and gingerly pulled a phaser from one of the downed security guards' fingers. Eyeing it to see if it was active, she looked up at Khan, her jaw set.

"We can't let him get away," she said.

Khan nodded and watched her sprint off just as Joaquin rose to his feet. He turned and faced his former bodyguard, bracing himself for the onslaught of pain he was about to receive.

* * *

Madelyn caught up with Thomas quickly. He may have appeared healthy and viril at first, but he was not a good runner. She managed to catch him in the doorway of a corridor that had previously been locked, slamming him against the wall with adrenaline coursing through her veins. She pressed one hand to his throat and held her phaser to his temple. She could tell he was genuinely scared and she wasn't sure she could actually bring herself to hurt him. Clearly holding a phaser to his head was enough of a threat to get him to talk.

"I—I can get you out of here!"

Madelyn didn't care. "Where is Khan's crew? You woke up Joaquin so obviously you know where they are."

"Yo-you don't want to do that. If he gets his crew back, he won't want you anymore."

"You don't know him." Madelyn pressed her phaser into Thomas' forehead. "Now tell me where his crew is."

Thomas was quiet, his eyes wide, his wiry body shaking. But he didn't answer her.

Madelyn clenched her jaw. "Tell me or I swear I'll…" She suddenly didn't know what she'd do. She couldn't just shoot him. She wouldn't. He was defenseless. Training the phaser on his face, she let his throat go and backed off, giving him room to breathe. "Just tell me where they are and I'll let you go."

He eyed her at first, but slowly and carefully relaxed, pushing himself away from the wall slightly. "You'll let me go if I tell you?"

Madelyn frowned. He sounded terrified. More terrified than a man of his age should be while being held at gunpoint by someone like her. Slowly, she nodded, not hesitating with the phaser.

"There's a small ship in the hanger through that door," said Thomas. His voice was shaking. "It needs repairs that Khan should be able to manage."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"This entire station is rigged to explode. Joaquin can set it off any time he wants. He's already destroyed most of it. He planned all of this."

"Why?"

Thomas' voice was shaking. "How should I know? He manipulated me and I didn't even see it coming until it was too late."

"Just tell me where Khan's people are!"

Thomas' face fell suddenly and Madelyn turned to see Khan coming towards them, limping and holding an arm to his side. The phaser was wrenched from her hand and she turned in time to see Thomas' face explode in a cloud of light and blood. She could hardly contain her cry of surprise as his body collapsed to the floor in front of her. She felt Khan's hand on her shoulder as she tried to breathe normally, unable to take her eyes from the body.

"I didn't—that wasn't me—I—"

She turned back to Khan just as he leaned on her with a quiet groan. Something warm and sticky soaked through her shirt. She pushed him up by his shoulder, barely able to hold him up, then she felt panic well up inside her. His face was bloodied and his lips were cut. Blood seeped onto his shirt from a gash in his chest, and bone protruded from his forearm.

"Oh my god, Khan. Where's Joaquin?"

"I slowed him down, but he'll be back," Khan answered back through gritted teeth. "We must leave."

She stared at him for a second, in shock at his injuries. She'd never seen him like this before and it scared her. Quickly she took his good arm and pulled it around her shoulders, groaning under his weight. She put her arm around his waist for support. He smelled of blood and sweat and metal.

"Thomas said there was a ship through here, but it needs repairs." Her voice was strained as she fought to hold him up, making her way towards the door Thomas had motioned to.

"We don't have time," he replied hoarsely. "Joaquin is going to destroy this entire starbase."

She was breathing hard, trying to pull him towards the door even as she was barely able to hold him up.

"Madelyn."

She didn't look at him when the doors hissed open. There was no ship. As the lights in the room flickered on, they illuminated rows and rows of active cryotubes lining the floor.

She felt Khan's breathing hitch against her, his fingers bunching the fabric of her shirt on her shoulder.

"No," he breathed. "No, it's too late."

They were thrown to the floor as a massive fireball roared through the atrium behind them. As a wave of heat washed over them through the doorway, Madelyn felt Khan pressing her against the cold floor, shielding her from the blast, even as her vision was filled with white hot light.


	38. Chapter 38

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT **

* * *

A cold floor. Bright lights all around. Something warm dripping onto her cheek. Her hand was pressed to the floor beside her face. She fought to breathe, feeling the weight of Khan's body pressing her down. His strangled breaths ghosted her ear.

"We need some help in here!" someone yelled nearby.

Realizing she was alive, she rolled over underneath Khan, using all her strength to push him off of her so she could finally breathe. He groaned in pain as she tried to help him lay back gently, but managed a faint smile when she murmured in his ear.

"Sorry."

She could tell he knew they were safe, but as she watched a group of medics lift his body onto a hovering gurney, she remembered the cryotubes. Then McCoy appeared in the doorway of the transporter room as Khan was taken out of sight, and Madelyn suddenly didn't know what to say.

"You better be damn grateful. Jim just saved you two from a firey death."

He helped her to her feet and immediately began checking her vitals.

"Khan, he—"

"He looks like shit. I didn't think a superman could even bleed like that. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll pull through."

Madelyn shook her head and put a hand on his arm to get his attention. "Bones, his crew was on Starbase One."

McCoy's face softened and he reverted his eyes to his tools, checking his readings a couple times to stall.

"Bones."

"Madelyn, Starbase One is gone."

Madelyn stared at him. "What?"

The doctor ignored her as he answered his whistling communicator. "Jim, give me that damn starbase's status."

_"Headed for the central Pacific, Bones. One giant ball of burning metal. Did we get them?"_

"We got them, Jim."

_"Alright, meet me in the medbay. Kirk out."_

Madelyn still clutched his arm as they walked out of the transporter room. "Bones, his crew. You guys had to scan the station to find us. Maybe you found the cryotubes too."

"Hey, I'm a doctor, not a damn transporter engineer. How should I know if seventy-two cryotubes made it up here with you? Besides, I highly doubt Jim would authorize something like that."

"No, you don't understand. His crew was right there. We both saw them!"

"Dammit, let go of my arm!"

She did, realizing how tightly she was gripping him. Her hands were shaking, adrenaline still coursing through her system after being trapped on Starbase One mere seconds ago. McCoy took her shoulders to make her look at him, and lowered his voice.

"Madelyn, you've just been through a hell of an ordeal in the past couple days. I understand that it hasn't quite settled in yet, but you need to calm down. Now do you want Khan to live?"

"Of course."

"Then I've got work to do," he said firmly, in a tone that reassured her he was going to do what he knew how to do, and that was be a doctor.

She let him leave her there in the white corridor. Glancing around, she realized more clearly that she was back on the Enterprise. Anxious to check on Khan, she followed McCoy to the medbay.

Khan was on a medical bed surrounded by several nurses. Worrying on her lower lip, Madelyn reluctantly hung back, not wanting to see his injuries again as up close as she had before. Tears stung her eyes as McCoy called out orders, relaying out loud what needed to be done to keep Khan alive.

"Put that bone back in his arm and put it in a sling. It'll fix itself. We've got a punctured lung and multiple broken ribs…"

Madelyn couldn't take anymore and left the medbay. She kept walking until she couldn't hear McCoy anymore and sank against the wall, ignoring the looks she got from passersby.

Khan's crew had been on that station. She was sure of it, and he must have seen them too. She wasn't sure she could tell him they were gone, but there was no way all seventy-two or more cryotubes could have been beamed onto the Enterprise.

She pressed her fist to her mouth, thinking of what Khan's reaction would be when he discovered his crew was really dead. It would be the second time he would experience the feeling of losing everyone he loved, but this time it would be for real. His people had gone down with Starbase One, crashing into the Pacific Ocean in a smoking trail of rubble.

She was the only one he had left.

She hadn't wanted to believe it the first time. In fact, the idea of it disgusted her.

But a lot had changed since then.

She stared at the floor of the corridor for a while, but her longing to see Khan again was too much. She carefully hauled herself to her feet. Her limbs were heavy and her stomach ached. She realized she hadn't eaten or slept in a couple days, and when she had pretended to sleep beside Owen Gallagher, her mind had stayed far away from the idea. Also she desperately needed a shower. Her hair was greasy and tangled and refused to stay out of her face and her skin felt grimy. She unconsciously pulled her arms to her chest, rubbing them as though she could wipe away the stain that Gallagher had left in her mind and on her body.

She made her way back towards the medbay but stopped when she saw Spock and Lieutenant Uhura coming towards her. When they locked eyes, Uhura made no attempt to hide her displeasure, but Madelyn didn't blame her. Khan had almost beaten Spock to death. The Vulcan's face was stitched up but he still wore a black eye and his nose was taped.

"Sorry about your face—"

"Ms. McGivers, it is good to see you alive and well."

A little taken aback by Spock's genial tone, Madelyn glanced at Uhura, who was staring at her Vulcan lover with a similar expression.

"Uh… thank you, Spock. It's good to see you too. I hope the damage isn't permanent."

"According to Dr. McCoy, I will be in adequate condition by the end of this week. There will be no permanent damage."

Madelyn forced herself to smile at both of them, even as Uhura pulled Spock away down the corridor, throwing Madelyn a bitter stare as she passed. She knew Uhura was rightfully angry, even though Spock seemed to be taking things much better than she'd anticipated. Though the Vulcan had once claimed he did not experience emotions the same way humans did, Madelyn had seen a hint of gratitude in his eyes. Khan would have killed him had she not intervened.

She wandered back into the medbay, her arms still locked over her chest. McCoy was attending to other patients, and Khan had been left alone. Ignoring the guards posted around his bed, Madelyn crossed the room, unable to take her eyes off of him. He was hooked up to several sensors, and an IV drip provided his body with vital fluids. She imagined he had lost a lot of blood. His face had been cleaned up, but his lower lip was swollen. His arm was in a sling, and his bare chest had been wrapped to contain his broken ribs. Madelyn knew he would heal quickly, but seeing him in this state made her tears return.

She sank carefully onto the side of his bed, sliding her fingers into his hand. She glanced down when his hand responded, and looked up again to see he was awake. His eyes were partially open and she couldn't help but reach up to push his hair back out of his face.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Not bad."

Madelyn frowned, not believing him for a second. "You scared me," she said softly.

His eyes softened and she didn't want to say anything more. She was just happy he was alive.

"I believe Joaquin no longer represents a threat to us," Khan said quietly.

Madelyn swallowed, pressing her lips together. She couldn't say what she knew needed to be said. Khan recognized her look.

"What is it?"

She hesitated, not wanting him to react. "Your crew was on that station," she murmured. She didn't want anyone nearby to overhear.

His hand tightened around her fingers, and she saw his jaw tensed. His eyes settled on something behind her and she turned to see Dr. McCoy and Captain Kirk.

"It hasn't even been an hour and he's talking already," said McCoy. "I told you he'd pull through."

Madelyn gave the doctor a faint smile, but gazed distantly at Kirk. The Enterprise's young captain had crossed his arms over his chest and showed no sign of being friendly.

"Where's Captain Janeway?" she asked, remembering the woman who'd made herself available at her own personal risk.

"She managed to make it to her ship before things went south," said Kirk.

Madelyn nodded. She was glad the female captain had made it safely off of Starbase One.

"We picked up a warp signature around the time Starbase One was hit with that last blast," Kirk continued, clearly not in the mood for small talk. "It was a small ship, with one lifesign detected onboard. We have reason to believe you know something about this, Khan."

Madelyn saw his features harden as Kirk spoke, but didn't expect him to respond the way he did.

"Joaquin Weiss will not be able to get far. He may think he can disappear, but I managed to install a tracking device on his person before he escaped. Let me guess, you want me to go after him."

Kirk nodded. "I'm ordering you to go after him. If he's as dangerous as he sounds, he needs to be eliminated."

Madelyn frowned. How did they know about Joaquin already?

Khan tilted his head slightly. "It wasn't long ago that I was the one who needed to be eliminated, Captain."

Kirk shifted and glanced at Madelyn, who raised her eyebrows expectantly. "My first officer seems to think you're…" He paused, licking his lips, clearly hesitant to say what he was thinking. "Worthy of redemption."

Khan's expression didn't change, but Madelyn noticed when his grip on her hand grew tighter.

"If I capture and eliminate Joaquin, what will you offer me in return?"

Kirk angled his gaze at the Augment. "A chance to start over. Believe me, this was not my idea."

"Parole, house arrest, life under the watchful eye of Federation guards," was Khan's drolling reply.

"I can't tell you any of the specifics," said Kirk. "But if you deal with this Joaquin Weiss, maybe something can be worked out."

Madelyn looked down at Khan, worrying on her lower lip. "I don't think this is a good idea," she said, looking up at Kirk again. "He's not in good shape."

"Give him a day and he'll be good as new," said McCoy.

Madelyn returned her gaze to Khan. He nodded subtly, confirming McCoy's words. She turned back to Kirk. "If anything else happens to him, I swear to god—"

"Madelyn, I need to do this," Khan replied firmly.

She knew he was right. Joaquin had destroyed so much, caused so much damage with his plans. He'd been responsible for the demise of Khan's people, and ultimately for the monster he'd turned Owen Gallagher into. He needed to be brought to justice. But Madelyn inwardly didn't want to let Khan go. After everything, she needed him more than ever, and to have him leave yet again made everything inside her scream _No_.

"Twenty-four hours, then I want you both off my ship," Kirk said, and with that, the captain left the medbay.

"Twenty-four hours?" Madelyn stood from Khan's bed, but he still gripped her hand. "Bones, what am I supposed to do?"

The doctor looked at her from under his furrowed brow. "I've been ordered to take you back home, to London. You can stay in a Starfleet-owned apartment until you get your affairs in order."

"London?" she repeated. That was the last place she wanted to go back to. Everyone who knew her would have recognized her on the news during Khan's trial. Everyone would know everything she didn't want them to know. Staying under the radar was going to be hard. Given the situation, though, it looked like she didn't have a choice. She supposed she could try to contact Kelly, the girl who used to work in her late grandfather's building. At least there was a chance she could retain one relationship from the past.

McCoy nodded and turned to leave the medbay. "We'll leave first thing in the morning."

Madelyn watched him go then turned back to Khan. She cringed as he managed to pull himself up into a sitting position, but he didn't seem to be bothered. If he was in pain, he wasn't showing it anymore. Madelyn sank back into the mattress beside him, her fingers intertwined with his.

"Will you be alright?" he asked after a moment.

She looked up at him and caught the flash of empathy in his eyes. It tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"I know London. I'll manage."

"That's not what I meant."

A sickening feeling filled the pit of her stomach. Of course, he meant whether she was okay with the fact that they may never see each other again. He would go off and hunt down Joaquin Weiss, and hopefully avoid further life threatening injuries dealt by his fellow Augment; and she would go back to London and try to live quietly, probably alone, but also probably under the watchful eye of some Starfleet operative. And when Khan had found Joaquin, and brought him in, or killed him, whichever was easier, then he would be arrested and put in jail, or worse, put back in cryosleep. He was, after all, still a dangerous man, according to certain authorities.

Madelyn sighed, looking down at their hands intertwined with each other, the limit of physical contact she was currently comfortable with. Khan loosened his fingers and tried to make a trail up her arm. She tensed and pulled her arm away, then immediately and awkwardly wiped a tear from her eye.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I'm sorry. It's…" She looked away, feeling a rush of shame overtake her. She really needed that shower. "It's too soon."

She glanced up and saw Khan's jaw had tensed, but his brow was tight and his eyes soft. She tried to smile at him but it only made her eyes fill with tears. She took a breath and smiled anyway.

"I love you," she said.

A faint smile crossed his features but he said nothing. Something mournful flitted across his eyes and for a moment Madelyn thought he was going to cry too. But Khan didn't cry. Not in front of anyone anyway. He was too stoic, too in control to ever let himself shed tears. He squeezed her hand.

"You should get some food, and some sleep," he said. "I'll be here when you get back."

She tried to harden her face to stop the tears as she stood and still smiled, sliding her hand from his grasp. She backed out of the medbay, never breaking his gaze until she was out the door and the wall blocked her view. Then she turned and headed down the corridor, in search of someone who could get her some quarters.

* * *

After having the best shower of her life, and possibly the most interesting meal as well, Madelyn felt like a brand new person, albeit a tired one. Her new clothes were a relief, a soft black Starfleet regulation top and matching slim-fitted trousers with comfortable boots. They were clean and they smelled like the Enterprise. Knowing she could forego sleep for a little while longer, she returned to the medbay to find that Khan wasn't there. Momentarily struck with a sense of panic that Khan had decided to escape again, her nerves were calmed when McCoy informed her that Khan had been taken to her quarters. She thanked him and made her way there.

There was a guard at the door but she wasn't surprised. She noticed he had to punch in a specific code to let her in, and realized Khan was still being treated like a prisoner. Some things never changed.

Khan lay on the single bed by the wall, his fingers interlaced across his stomach. His arm was no longer in its sling. When she entered the room and the door slid shut behind her, he sat up carefully, wincing noticeably as he swung his feet to the floor. He'd put a shirt on, but Madelyn suspected his lung and ribs would take more than twenty-four hours to heal.

She could feel him undressing her with his penetrating eyes. The thought of being intimate with him brought painful flashbacks that she wished had never come. With a hand on her forehead, she walked across the room and lay down next to him without a word, staring up at the ceiling. It was going to take her some time to start thinking positively about having sex again.

Khan climbed over her, his hair falling over his face. His proximity made her swallow. She wasn't ready for this. He bent down to kiss her and she instinctively turned away, biting hard on her lower lip as his mouth pressed softly to her cheek. His hand slid down her side and slithered under her shirt. Images of Gallagher forcing himself on her flashed through her mind. As his fingers crept underneath her bra, she tensed up and pushed at him, her heart thudding in her chest with rising panic. He retreated, his face questioning.

"I can't," she said quietly.

For a moment she thought he was going to be angry with her. Instead, he lay down beside her again, his expression softening.

"I'm sorry, it should've occurred to me that you would not be comfortable with intimacy."

He'd said the exact thing that was going through her head. She reached over and took his hand. "Thank you," she said, looking him in the eye. "I shouldn't though… this could be the last night we ever—"

Khan pressed a finger to her mouth. "It won't be."

She smiled faintly, matching his expression. Then he slid his arms around her and pulled her close to him so she could breathe him in. He carried the faint scent of the Enterprise's showers, and of the medbay, of bandages and blood. His hair was slightly damp and Madelyn combed her fingers through it, pressing his face to her shoulder. She was grateful for the layers of fabric between them. The last thing she needed was hot skin pressed against her. She curled herself into a ball, tucking her knees against her chest. The last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep was his deep voice rumbling through her, commanding the lights to turn off.

* * *

She woke with a start, catching herself before she hit the floor. Something had pushed her off the mattress. She squinted up into the darkness at the sound of panicked breathing. Standing up, she carefully felt her way back into bed and discovered Khan was sitting up.

She knelt beside him and slid her hands around his body, resting her chin on his muscular shoulder. His shirt was soaked with sweat, and his breathing was deep and irregular, and shaking. He seemed to relax a little at her touch, but that didn't stop him from pressing fingers to his temple.

"What is it?" she whispered.

He breathed in through his nose, letting the firm, hot breath out through his open mouth. She shifted so she could see his face and put a hand on his cheek, catching a faint glint in his eye despite the room's darkness. His cheek made her palm wet.

"Khan?"

He took her arm in his hand and held it there, his breathing slowing. He didn't say anything, didn't answer, just pressed his fingers into her arm and stared at her. Then without warning, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him, burying his face in her neck. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he lay down, holding her close beside him. He was shaking in-between breaths. Madelyn slid her fingers into his hair, caressing the back of his head and neck. She knew he was distraught over losing his crew. He'd remained so collected in the medbay. She knew he'd never dare show his emotions in front of others. Only her.

She held him tightly as his silent tears dripped onto her skin. She wanted to tell him that it would be okay, but she didn't because she wasn't sure. She wondered if this was the last night they would ever spend in each other's company, and her fingers tightened on his scalp at the thought.


	39. Chapter 39

**_A/N: Hello everyone! Firstly I want to thank all of you loyal readers and reviewers who constantly let me know what you're thinking about this story. Second, I have two announcements to make at the end of this chapter _**_**(partially to make up for the fact that this is a filler chapter ok)**_**_, so stay tuned all the way to the end. Again I can't thank you all enough for following and favoriting and reading and reviewing! The response to this story has been HUGE, way higher than I ever imagined it would be, and as a writer, your feedback as a reader AND a critic is super important to me. If I could hug all of you through my laptop screen, I definitely would have a long time ago._**

**_ Don't forget, announcements at the end of the chapter _**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE**

* * *

It must have been sometime after midnight when he'd been awoken by that terrible dream. He hardly ever dreamed. His body only required four or five hours of proper sleep a night, even while he was injured, and his brain usually had no need of REM sleep. His chest pain was waning too, which meant that despite the blood he'd lost to Joaquin's brutal attack, he would be as good as he ever was before long. He would have to be, if he was going to track that bastard down and deal with him properly. It infuriated him to know he had been beaten in such a manner, to then have Joaquin escape like a true coward. Khan questioned what he had truly seen in the man so long ago that had convinced him he would make a loyal bodyguard, much less a good friend. That man was long gone, replaced with someone who had let their augmented ambitions get in the way of everything else.

He didn't sleep for the rest of the night, not that he needed to. He couldn't bring himself to closing his eyes to Madelyn's peaceful form. She didn't let go of him even after she'd fallen fast asleep again, her fingers wrapped around the back of his head while he rested it against her shoulder. Carefully, he slid his hand over her back, feeling her rib cage expand and contract with each deep breath. He wanted so badly to remove her shirt and feel her warm skin, but he knew that Madelyn would need ample time to heal psychologically from what Owen Gallagher had done to her. He was never angry about her resistance, only confused at first, and then it had suddenly hit him and he'd felt guilty for even suggesting the idea with his actions.

Several hours passed as Khan lay there in the dark, tangled with Madelyn's limbs, when the door to their quarters chimed. She didn't stir, so he carefully removed her fingers from his hair and slid silently from the bed. He depressed the com button by the door, not bothering to turn on the lights, and noticed it was almost six in the morning.

"Yes?" he intoned quietly.

_"It's McCoy. Tell Madelyn I need to see her in the medbay before we leave."_

"I will."

Turning from the door, Khan quietly ordered the lights partially on. He could see Madelyn's body outlined by a wall sconce behind her. Her legs were splayed across the bed and her hands were tucked under her pillow. She looked so peaceful, he didn't want to wake her. He quietly lay down beside her, propping his head up on his hand, running his fingers over her shoulder, brushing a wavy lock of hair out of her face. Unable to restrain himself, he ghosted his lips over the side of her face, tracing her cheekbone. She stirred and Khan pulled away, not wanting her first morning thoughts to be negative triggers. Her eyes fluttered open and seeing him was enough to make the corner of her mouth rise.

Khan ordered the lights on a hundred percent, and he couldn't hide his smile when Madelyn groaned.

"Damn you and your morning genes," she mumbled, burying her face in her pillow. She peeked up at him and fought to contain her grin. She wasn't any good at acting, and Khan thought it was rather adorable.

"Dr. McCoy needs you in the medbay," he stated. "You'll have to get out of bed."

She rolled over with her hands over her eyes, rubbing them slightly, then blinking until she adjusted to the brightness of the room. The front of her shirt was wrinkled and twisted up to reveal part of her stomach that Khan's eyes drank in.

"What time is it?" she muttered.

"Almost six."

She sighed and glanced at him. "I shouldn't be this tired."

Khan raised an eyebrow. "You expect too much of yourself."

Madelyn snorted in response.

Khan didn't get up, but lay there and watched her as she sat up and ran her fingers through her hair, then slowly climbed out of bed and ambled into the bathroom. Every movement she made was like watching water spill through his fingers. He knew he couldn't touch her the way he wanted to, and his body ached because of it. When the sink turned on, he got up and pulled off his shirt, replacing it with another one he'd pulled from the small closet in the wall. Holding his previous shirt in his hands, he noticed it was still warm, and considered Madelyn when she reappeared out of the bathroom wiping her face with a towel. There were dark circles under her eyes. Khan watched as she knelt to put on her boots, and then as she pulled her hair back from her face, and he noted how clear her skin was. Her wounds had disappeared, but that didn't mean she didn't still carry some inside her. He slid on his own boots and held the bundled shirt in his hand out to her.

She looked at him with a question in her eyes, but took it nonetheless, her lips immediately parting with realization. She held it shamelessly to her face, feeling his warmth in it, and probably smelling him too. Then she tucked it under her arm and took his hand with a smile.

Four security officers flanked them as they stepped outside their room and Khan caught the subtle roll of her eyes. He appreciated that she didn't believe this treatment was necessary, but he personally didn't mind. It only meant that the crew members they passed, who stared at them with awe and trepidation, would offer them more respect than they would were the two of them unguarded while they walked to the medbay.

McCoy met them there and their guards remained by the door. Ignoring Khan, the doctor narrowed his attention on Madelyn. "I need to talk to you in private."

"Whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of him."

Khan felt the corner of his mouth rise at her reply, and watched his face carefully. McCoy needed to understand the solidarity that now existed between the two of them, whether he wanted to or not. The doctor glanced at him warily, then settled his gaze on Madelyn.

"I ran some tests last night using some of your tissue I'd put into storage. After I heard about your miscarriage, I decided to look into what exactly happened. You said you were attacked, and I know that's a reasonable explanation, but I think you need to know the truth."

When he paused, Madelyn squeezed Khan's hand, raising her eyebrows at the doctor expectantly. "What is it?" Khan was already speculating and didn't like his results. He narrowed his gaze at McCoy as the doctor glanced between the two of them.

"The only reason you became pregnant in the first place was because of Khan, and frankly, I don't wanna get into those details so I'll just leave that up to your imagination." He paused, then lowered his voice. "In layman's terms, your basic genetic structure makes bearing children to term impossible. I just thought you'd want to know this for the future."

Madelyn was silent for a moment, her eyes glazing over. After a moment she finally responded. "Why are you telling me this now?"

The doctor glanced at Khan again. "If Khan fulfills his end of the deal with Jim, there's a chance you two may not be separated for long. But don't go gettin' your hopes up."

Madelyn's expression lightened, and for the first time, Khan found himself respecting a member of Starfleet, if for nothing else than his brutal honesty.

Madelyn chewed on the inside of her bottom lip and didn't say anything after that. Khan thanked the doctor in a cool tone, to which McCoy responded with a raised eyebrow and a reluctant nod. Then the captain's voice was heard over the ship's intercom, ordering Khan to meet Kirk in a small conference room near the main hangar, and Khan knew it was time.

"Doctor, perhaps you should keep Madelyn company while I attend this… meeting," he offered. Madelyn's grip on his hand tightened and he forced his regret away.

McCoy seemed sympathetic, and sent a look to Madelyn. She swallowed and hesitantly let Khan's hand go, her jaw clenched tightly shut. Then before Khan could react, she took his face in both hands and pulled him down into a kiss. McCoy cleared his throat and wandered away, and Khan responded to her, his hands drifting down her sides. She broke the kiss before he could take things further, still clutching his face in her fingers, her forehead ghosting his.

"Don't let me down," she murmured.

He bored his gaze into her hazel eyes, his fingers scrunching her shirt. "Never."

Then, with strong hesitation, she let him go. She took a step back, clutching the shirt he'd given her under her crossed arms, steeling her gaze as Khan tore his own from her. He headed for the medbay doors, security officers trailing behind. Even as the doors shut and he strode down the corridor, her warm scent still lingered on him. He knew he could not afford to make a mistake this time.

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a blur.

McCoy joined Madelyn like he'd promised, taking a shuttle back to Earth along with a handful of other Starfleet personnel whose first stop was San Francisco. He dropped her off at a bank where she could begin the slow process of getting her affairs back in order, since she'd barely had a chance to do so before being scooped up by the Enterprise. She sat down with a knowledgeable banking assistant, a green-skinned Orion male, in a private alcove of the bank and was shocked when he showed her a read out of exactly how much her grandfather had left her. She had to cover her mouth. She'd had no idea what she would ever do with such a large amount and there was no way someone could ever spend that much money in one lifetime. After a few minutes of thinking it over, she decided to divert a small amount of the inheritance to a personal account which she would be able to access in London. A tiny fraction of the money was put into savings, and the rest was set aside to go to charity under a hypothetical foundation which Madelyn would create at a later date. She liked the idea of a fund to go to the victims of the Vengeance crash, but she wasn't ready to get into those details so soon. She needed to go home first.

Before meeting McCoy at their planned rendezvous in a familiar plaza outside the Transamerica Pyramid, she picked up a new communicator and a few odds and ends, including new clothing and a pair of big sunglasses that hid half of her face. In the dressing room of a local boutique, she pulled on Khan's shirt, wrapping her arms over her chest as his scent enveloped her. It still smelled so strongly of his washed hair and warm skin, she could feel him beside her when she shut her eyes. She was never going to wash that shirt. She wore a loose knitted cream-colored sweater over the black shirt, and wrapped a navy blue scarf around her neck, then replaced her Starfleet trousers with more comfortable leggings, and regulation boots with soft flats. Finally she pulled a long gray coat from a mannequin and scanned the price tags in her hand on her way out of the store. She pulled the jacket on as a cool wind pushed her down the sidewalk. The sun was setting and it wasn't yet April and she'd sort of forgotten what it was like to not be in a climate-controlled environment.

With her face hidden behind sunglasses and her hands deep in her jacket pockets, she decided she could remain anonymous more easily than she'd thought. No one she passed even gave her a second look and she wasn't trying to attract attention either. She hoped her face was out of the media by now, but a quick glance into the window of an electronic magazine shop told her that her hopes were premature. A display of PADDs in the window showed gossip columns and bright flashing photos of celebrities. One headline mentioned her name, and she quickly scanned the column. It speculated that she'd disappeared out of the public limelight because she was ashamed of her "botched affair with a fugitive terrorist." She shook her head at the entire concept of the article and moved on. The only people who had some idea of what had really happened and who Khan really was, they were with Starfleet. And she knew she shouldn't be paying the tabloids any attention anymore.

She and McCoy took the first flight out to London and she didn't speak for most of it. It was only an hour long trip, but it was long enough for Madelyn to send a message to the only person she could think of who might be willing to let her back into their life. Kelly Beckett, the eighteen year old who worked as a secretary in her grandfather's building. Madelyn recalled the last time she'd seen her had been the day she'd met Khan. How much everything had changed in the month since then.

She didn't hear back from Kelly like she hoped she would, but the message was sent. She could only hope she wouldn't be alone for too long.

They arrived in London and McCoy showed her to the Starfleet owned flat he'd manage to reserve that morning. It was located in a building not far from ground zero, where the Kelvin Memorial Archives had been destroyed at the onset of Khan's plans. Even though McCoy made a comment about the location, she found she didn't mind as much as she thought she would. After all, this was just going to be temporary, until she could get back on her own two feet, and she planned on only taking a few weeks to do that.

The flat was small but adequate for living in, with all the usual technologies in lights and appliances and heating, and with a dull view of an adjacent skyscraper and the street ten levels below. The floor was cold, synthetic wood paneling and the walls were stark white, contrasted with the dark gray ceiling. The main sitting room had a black couch and a round coffee table and a small television on the wall, and the double bed in the only bedroom was bare. The kitchen needed to be stocked, but at least everything was clean and modern. She'd have to go out and buy sheets and a pillow and some food, but at least that meant she could eat real food. She hadn't had a proper salad in ages.

Feeling comfortable with her new situation, Madelyn pulled off her coat and lay it carefully on the couch, nodding to herself. She would make it work, and in the mean time she would hunt for someplace to really call home. She hoped Kelly would respond to her message.

She and McCoy said their goodbyes, though the doctor promised he would try to stop by now and again when he could.

"I don't usually have a reason to come to London, but I might have two now, if Doctor Marcus will ever get around to answering my calls."

Madelyn grinned at the thought of Dr. McCoy leaving awkward messages for Carol Marcus. She wondered how the late Admiral's daughter had been. She hadn't seen her since Khan's trial, but she wasn't sure she wanted to see her again. Not now anyway. She imagined it would be awkward, given what Khan had done to her, and to her father in front of her. Pushing the thoughts from her head, Madelyn gave McCoy a tight hug before she opened the apartment's door for him to go.

"I know I've probably said this before, but you've done so much for me, and I don't really know how I could thank you."

McCoy shrugged. "Maybe it's better if you didn't. I'll be damned if I feel like I owe you anything. I'm a doctor, remember? Nothin' more. What you _can_ do is just keep living."

She smiled wider. "I think I'm pretty good at doing that, Bones."

He raised a slightly suspicious eyebrow and went out the door, waving over his shoulder. Madelyn shut the door quietly, and turned to face her silent new apartment. Silent, and despite the unfamiliar basic furniture, empty. She pulled out her barely-used new communicator and ordered a cab. She needed to go back home.

* * *

Her grandfather's house still stood where it had for generations. Madelyn felt a rush of memories take over her as she stepped out of the cab, not taking her eyes from the vine-covered walls. She asked the cabbie to wait there, she would try not to be too long.

She felt around beneath the layer of compost inside a potted plant by the front door. The key was slightly rusted but it unlocked the door without a problem. The wooden floor creaked as her flats stepped inside. She didn't bother to turn on the lights. She shut the door behind her, letting the house's smell churn her collected memories. Her childhood days spent here on vacation. The day she moved in after Mark died. The way Owen had once grinned at her after telling her a pathetically lame joke. Ash from William McGiver's favorite cigars littering the coffee table in the living room. She walked through the foyer, seeing the scratches in the wall where she'd thrown that vase, shattering it in anger at the fact that Khan had made Gallagher leave, leaving her completely alone. She'd stood right here the first time she'd kissed Khan.

Remembering she'd left the cabbie waiting outside, she walked through the house and up the stairs. Dust swirled in the columns of sunlight filtering through a window above, circles of pale light dotting the staircase. The floor creaked again under her flats, and she paused on the spot where she had decided she was going to have sex with Khan for the first time. It hadn't really been a decision, more of an impulse, but nonetheless, she remembered so clearly how much she wanted him without really knowing him. She moved on and went into her bedroom. She grabbed two duffle bags out of her closet and began to pack. Shirts, pants, sweaters, bras, panties, shoes, a jacket or two, some tank tops for warmer days. She zipped up the duffles and snagged her favorite shoulder bag from its shelf by the bedroom door, then pulled her toiletries out of the bathroom and dumped them in a plastic tote. Arms full, she went back downstairs, eyes raking over the doorways that led to other parts of the house. She could come back again, she told herself, but she wasn't sure she wanted to. Everything in this house reminded her of the way things had been before.

She returned to the cab, piling her bags in the back then running back up the walk to lock the door. She pocketed the key. Maybe she would come back again one day, but not soon. She told the driver to take her back into the city, and watched out the rear window as the house disappeared around the corner, blocked by trees beginning to gain their spring foliage.

It felt good to move on.

* * *

**_I hope you enjoyed the chapter! So I promised I had two announcements to make, which I do. The first is that I'm planning a bit of a rewrite to this story, with more expansion in the beginning and more clarification of certain aspects of the plot, etc. I hope to get it published within a month, so follow my account if you want to be updated! Also, the second thing, which I'm also excited about, is I'm working on a Sherlock/OC fic, which I hope to start posting on here also within a month or so. So keep a look out for my new stories, as this one slowly winds down. I'm not quite done with Madelyn yet, so expect several more chapters on this story. I've decided it's more important for me to completely finish the first draft of this story before I move on to rewriting it, just so I have a foundation._**

**_Thank you for reading, and please feel free to leave a review or a comment or suggestion about any or all of this!_**

**_Razberri_**


	40. Chapter 40

**CHAPTER FORTY **

* * *

Kelly Beckett returned Madelyn's message the next day, and to her surprise, the younger girl was happy to hear from her. In her Cockney accent, she chattered away on the phone about how she was hoping to start taking university classes over the summer and wanted to move out of her parents' house as soon as she could. She needed a roommate, and when Madelyn suggested they share a flat in downtown London, close to the university Kelly was interested in attending, the younger sounded thrilled. Pleasantly surprised that Kelly made absolutely no mention of anything she may have seen about her in the news, Madelyn gave her the address of her temporary home and asked her to stop by whenever she felt like it. She heard Kelly's grin through her words, and when they ended their call, Madelyn couldn't help but smile to herself as well. She wasn't sure she'd completely enjoy sharing a flat with a girl almost ten years younger than her, but it was better than living alone.

She spent the afternoon buying food and crafting herself the first real meal she'd eaten in almost a month. Roast chicken with couscous and garlic, and a rich salad of dark greens and tomatoes and feta cheese with a glass of dry red wine to tie it together. Eating in silence wasn't the hard part. It was eating alone that made her drink another whole glass of wine. She hadn't enjoyed a vintage like that since… she couldn't even remember. Putting the leftover food away, she left the dishes in the sink for later and sank down on the couch, flipping through the hundreds of channels to find that there wasn't anything on worth watching, unless she was in the mood for that popular show about sentient machines with flashing red eyes everyone was calling the "new space opera," but frankly she wasn't interested in watching stuff explode in space all over again.

She flipped through channels for another minute, pausing briefly on the BBC. The headline was what had caught her eye, something about a freak meteor shower in the northern Pacific. Deep-sea fishermen working off the Aleutian Islands had reported seeing large fireballs streak across the sky several nights ago, and there was one sketchy report of a large chunk of fiery, unidentifiable wreckage slamming into a rocky beach in British Columbia. Madelyn listened with an eyebrow that slowly reached new heights as the news anchor reported that Starfleet's principal space station orbiting Earth, known as Starbase One, had undergone a massive accidental system failure, resulting in its fall out of orbit. Because the station's shields were down, it burned up in the planet's atmosphere. Thankfully, the reporter said with a lighter tone, there were no casualties, as all station personnel had been evacuated long before the situation became truly dangerous.

Madelyn turned off the talking head and threw the remote across the room. No casualties. The BBC had no clue. Nobody did. There had been at least seventy-two casualties, and not a single one of them would ever receive a proper burial or the respect they deserved.

She pulled herself off the couch and went to go look out the window at the darkening city. Her forehead pressing to the cold glass, she watched cars and ships speed by as London's nightlife took shape, tall buildings once dark against the setting sun's light suddenly shining with pinpricks of blue light. If she looked far enough to one side she could see the hole in the ground where Khan had blown up part of Section 31.

Except she knew it hadn't really been Khan who'd set off the device, and that was what interested her most. Who had he convinced to do this for him, and how had he convinced them? She knew she could potentially find out if she dropped the right names, but she didn't want to risk someone finding her questions suspicious. She went into her bedroom and pulled out her PADD, then typed up a quick message. She was about to send it to 'Captain James T. Kirk,' then changed her mind and erased his name, replacing it with 'Commander Spock.' She figured the Vulcan would find her inquiry a logical one.

Figuring out how Khan had managed to pull off such a deadly attack under everyone's nose slightly fascinated her, despite the fact it had killed over forty people. She knew his reasoning had been complex, involving not only a need for revenge, but a well-thought out plan to get Admiral Marcus out into the open. She'd read the report on Khan's Daystrom building attack, and though she didn't agree with his tactics one bit and wouldn't be afraid to confront him over it one day if the opportunity presented itself, she nonetheless admired the planning he'd put into it, the level of detail he'd attended to in order for everything to go smoothly.

She put the PADD aside and went into the kitchen to clean up. It was literally minutes later when she jumped as the PADD made an alert noise. It was sooner than she'd anticipated, but she dried off her hands and went to investigate. Spock had replied in one concise and logically written paragraph. She scanned it, noting the name he presented near the end of the message. Thomas Harewood.

She hit reply and sent him a quick thank you, then did a search for the name Harewood. There was an entry with that name listed under the Royal Children's Hospital outside of London. Madelyn scanned over it and noticed it was an article about a nine-year-old girl named Lucille Harewood, who had been struggling for months with a rare form of late stage Leukemia. The article attributed her "remarkable and shockingly swift recovery" to the groundbreaking treatment she had received at the hospital. Madelyn frowned, not sure this was relevant to what she wanted to know, but it wouldn't hurt to follow the lead. Nothing else she searched came up with anything. The name Harewood wasn't exactly prominent in the news.

* * *

The following morning, Madelyn got up early and ate a quick breakfast, then dressed warmly and went outside to hail a cab. The Royal Children's Hospital was a good hour north of London. She fingered her communicator on the drive up, wondering if she should shoot Kelly another text message, in case she decided to show up at her flat while she was gone. She didn't know why she was worried about communicating with the girl; she supposed she was afraid to lose her only connection with someone who didn't have any preconceived notions about her. She shook her head at herself, berating the notion that somehow Kelly would change her mind about getting a flat with her. The girl wasn't even nineteen yet. She had no reason to back out of her first chance to move out of her parents' home.

When she climbed out of the cab at the hospital, Madelyn couldn't help but admire the historical architecture of the hospital's stone façade. Its structure had clearly been refurbished over the years, and the building extended up the hill with more modern glass architecture, but she loved the way the old met the new in its design.

She went up to the front desk in the lobby and asked about the name Spock had given her, mentioning the article she'd read about Lucille Harewood.

"I was wondering if I could talk to the doctor responsible for her treatment," she said.

The man behind the desk gave her a name, Dr. James Wilson, and told her to go to the second level of the hospital. As head of the cancer center, Dr. Wilson's office was centrally located. She thanked him and made her way there, walking the length of the black and white tiled floor towards the lift. When she stepped out onto the next level, she had to stand to the side for a moment as a hovering gurney containing a sleeping child was pushed past her, followed by a man and a woman clutching each other's hands. Realizing what she'd just seen, Madelyn bit her lip and continued on to the clearly labeled office of Dr. James P. Wilson, MD.

She gave the partially open door a firm knock, and heard the distracted greeting telling her she could come in. She stepped inside but hesitated when she saw the doctor was busy tapping away at his PADD. He looked up after a moment, giving a second take that made Madelyn uncomfortable, but only because she thought it was a look of recognition. He was gray-haired, probably in his sixties, and dressed in a typical doctor's uniform.

"Yes, you're the woman Charles told me was coming up?"

She took another step inside and managed to smile despite his disinterested look. "I'm looking for some information on the Harewood family. I saw the article about Lucille Harewood and I was wondering if you could tell me more about her."

Dr. Wilson spent another moment on his PADD while he spoke. "You with The Daily Mail?"

"No! God no." She felt her stomach twist at the thought, remembering what that and other ridiculous publications had said about her during Khan's trial. "This is part of a Starfleet investigation," she decided to add.

The doctor gave her a once over. "You're not with Starfleet."

"I have friends who are," she said quickly.

Dr. Wilson put his PADD down. "Well, I suppose PR did make Lucille's story public, so I should've expected this. Very well. You want to know how I cured her, don't you?"

Madelyn nodded.

Dr. Wilson's face softened as he offered her a chair across from his desk. She sat down and watched as he shut the door behind her, then returned to his seat.

"I'm trusting you don't have some recording device on you. My telling you this could put this entire hospital's reputation at risk."

"I promise you I'm not with the press."

He nodded. "I believe you. The English press doesn't hire Americans." He leaned on his desk, lacing his fingers together in front of him. "First of all, you should know that the article you read is utter bollocks, trumped up idealistic hearsay that modern medical advances have discovered a way to cure cancer overnight."

He paused to rub his forehead. Madelyn noted the lines around his eyes.

"You can't imagine the number of inquiries I've had over the past month from desperate parents who believe I can heal their children, like I'm some kind of medical superman. I didn't cure Lucille Harewood, I know that much. In fact I don't understand how she was cured at all. One day she'd slipped into a coma, her vitals on the very edge of death, her temperature well below normal. The treatment I'd been giving her was on its last leg and nothing was improving. I'd already informed her parents that there was nothing else I could do. And then the next morning she was awake, her temperature normal, all of her vitals perfect. Her blood cells were regenerating at a frankly alarming rate, but she was healthier than she'd ever been. I'm not a religious man, but if I told you I didn't believe in miracles, I'd be lying."

Dr. Wilson paused, staring at his desk as though he was still coming to terms with what had happened. He looked up at her after a moment.

"The day she left this hospital, Lucille ran through the halls like she'd never run before. Her mother had trouble keeping up with her. It's a pity her father never got to see."

Madelyn frowned. "Why didn't he?"

"He died in the terrorist attack on the Archives that same morning."

_Thomas Harewood_, she realized. The man Spock had mentioned in his message. The connection was too interesting to be a coincidence. She leaned forward in her seat.

"What was her mother's name?"

"Rima, I believe it was. Why? Are you considering talking to her? I'm not sure I should be telling you anything more if you are. She lost her husband, and she almost lost her daughter."

Madelyn stood and shouldered her bag, smiling. "Thank you, doctor. I don't think she'll mind if I want to ask a few questions. I know what it's like to lose loved ones."

She headed for the door but paused when Dr. Wilson spoke up again. "I never got your name, miss. I have the strangest feeling I know you from somewhere."

She pursed her lips, her hand hovering over the door about to push it open. She considered not answering him and walking out, but she knew she wasn't that kind of person. She turned and pasted a smile on her face. "My name is Madelyn McGivers, and I'm certain you don't know me." At the sudden look of shock on his face, she smiled genuinely. "Thank you for your time, Dr. Wilson."

She left his office before he could respond further and pulled out her PADD. A quick search revealed there weren't very many Rima Harewood's in England, and only one in London.

The cab took her to her requested address, a small block of plain flats in East London, located across the street from an old, unkempt city park. She'd been confident this would go well, but as she climbed the stairs of the rather old building and approached Rima Harewood's flat, she grew more and more nervous, maybe even a little guilty. This woman had lost her husband because of Khan. If she knew the connection Madelyn had with him, she probably wouldn't want to talk, much less answer any questions. She might even call the authorities.

Swallowing her trepidation, Madelyn knocked on the door anyway. She waited there a while, and almost turned to leave when she knocked again and no one answered. Finally she heard voices on the other side, one of them distinctly young. She worried on her lower lip as she heard multiple locks undone inside, and then the door opened.

Rima Harewood was tall and thin, dark-skinned, probably of Indian ancestry, with long, sleek black hair and tired brown eyes. She looked at Madelyn, confused and suspicious, and blocked the narrow doorway with her body.

"Can I help you?"

Madelyn hoped her soft smile would calm the woman's suspicions. "Yes, actually I think you can. Are you Rima Harewood?"

"Yes," was her hesitant reply.

"I want to talk to you about your daughter, if that's alright."

Rima swept her eyes over Madelyn, clearly considering shutting the door. "Who are you? You're not trying to sell me anything, are you?"

Madelyn smiled faintly. "No," she said, chuckling. "I'm Madelyn McGivers." She extended a hand and Rima hesitated, still looking at her. A flash of recognition crossed her face and Madelyn prepared herself for the worst. Instead, the woman's brown eyes softened as she smiled in return, a look that carried a hint of sympathy that Madelyn couldn't explain. Rima shook her hand, then opened the door wider to let her in. A young girl with thick black hair and shiny dark eyes bounded towards her, grinning playfully.

"This is my daughter, Lucy," said Rima. "It's good to meet you, Madelyn. I think I want to ask you a few questions as well."

Madelyn raised her eyebrows when she realized Rima seemed to know exactly why she was there, but there was no bitterness on her face, only a faint glimmer when she looked back down at her daughter, who was dancing around the room on her toes.


	41. Chapter 41

**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE **

* * *

Rusted metal creaked and groaned as Madelyn McGivers and Rima Harewood sat on an old swing set in an unkempt park, watching young Lucille run back and forth across the gap between an equally rusted teeter-totter and a short set of purple monkey bars.

Madelyn had spent the last hour answering more of Rima's questions than Rima had answered of Madelyn's. The result was that Rima had more of an understanding of who Khan was to Madelyn, rather than who the media had said he was, and the peace that settled over her was fascinating to watch. Afterwards they had taken Lucille across the street to the park to calm her incessant begging to play, and now Madelyn almost didn't want to talk anymore. Rima knew everything and still didn't seem to be bothered, and Madelyn wanted to know why. She'd almost forgotten why she'd sought out the Harewoods to begin with, but she was reminded when she heard Lucille giggle as she slipped from the monkey bars and landed on her bottom in the dirt.

"What happened the day she got better?" Madelyn asked, nodding to the little girl, who was dusting herself off and turning her gaze to the purple bars again.

Rima smiled. "I was wondering when you'd get around to asking. I probably shouldn't have made you talk your head off first."

"No, it's fine," she replied, matching Rima's look. "There aren't very many people who know what really happened to me."

Rima turned to watch her daughter again. "Thomas and I knew we were going to lose her. The doctors said there was nothing else they could do. We spent every chance we could at the hospital, not knowing when she might take her last small breath. I was at my wit's end. I'd lost our second just a few months earlier. Miscarriage. So I couldn't lose her too."

Madelyn swallowed. She knew the pain of losing an unborn child, the hope of new life suddenly dashed to pieces by uncontrollable forces. If she'd known Rima better, she would have reached over and taken the woman's hand just to comfort her.

"Then one day Thomas says to me, 'I've found a way to save her.' I told him he was crazy, that he was just trying to make himself feel less guilty for not being _able_ to save her. And then he told me he'd met someone at work, a man named John Harrison, and that he was going to help us.

"Thomas said John could give Lucy some of his blood, that it would heal her, and in exchange Thomas was going to help John with something. If I had known what he'd really meant by that, I would've said 'No, absolutely not.' I would've stopped him. But I didn't know and I was too overjoyed at the thought that maybe Lucy didn't have to die. So the next day Thomas left work early and we went back to the hospital. I fell asleep on the couch in Lucy's room, and when I woke up she was smiling at me." Rima's voice cracked and she wiped her eyes. "She asked where daddy was. I didn't know, but I was too in shock to call him. They said she'd never wake up again and yet here she was talking to me. Later someone came in and told me about the bomb. It all happened so quickly. It's a blur in my head, but I know what healed her and it wasn't anything the doctors did.

"Then of course I saw what happened in San Francisco. It was all over the news, along with John Harrison's face and true identity. But it didn't make me hate him. The media didn't do a very good job convincing me he was a bloodthirsty psychopath, and when I heard about you, well that was when I knew I needed to talk to you. I used to write for the Telegraph. I know there are always two sides to every story. So thank you for confirming that."

Madelyn felt tears prick her eyes and blinked them away, tearing her gaze from Rima to Lucille. There was a fragment of Khan coursing through that little girl's veins. Suddenly she didn't care about the bombing, or about the forty-two people including Thomas Harewood who had lost their lives, or the fact that Khan had been the instigator of it all. All she could think of was that Khan had chosen to save an innocent life in order to initiate his plan. He could have threatened them all. He could have kidnapped them and used them to make Thomas Harewood act, but instead he'd saved a nine year old girl from premature death and given her a chance to live. Her chest swelled at the thought, every cell inside her bursting with love for Khan, for the choice he had made, and she realized she had never expected too much good to come from him. She knew he would do anything for his family, and had proven that by convincing Thomas Harewood to die so that Lucille would live. Khan's means, she realized, had not always been as obvious as she thought. Even now, in his absence, he was still surprising her.

"What does that say about Khan?" Rima said after a moment. "That he chose to save my daughter's life rather than simply using threats to get what he wanted? I'm sure you know the answer to that question, but I've been so confused about it all, about Thomas. I still wish every day I could've stopped him, but when I see Lucy… She's the only thing keeping me going now. But I think I'm content just knowing you exist, and knowing your story, so thank you."

"No, thank _you_," said Madelyn. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

Rima smiled. "To be honest, I was slightly terrified of meeting you."

"I could say the same," Madelyn laughed softly. "But I think your concerns hold more water than mine do."

Rima raised an eyebrow. "You'd be surprised."

Madelyn feigned alarm and Rima laughed. She watched as Lucille skipped towards them, having had her share of the monkey bars for one afternoon.

"Mummy, swing me!" she called out.

Rima watched her daughter climb into an empty swing and stood up to push her gently so the chains creaked and groaned with each movement. Lucille pumped her legs back and forth, laughing and squealing musically. Madelyn couldn't help but smile as she watched them. Everything Lucille did bubbled over with life.

And everything she had thought about Khan when she'd first learned who he really was, she suddenly wanted to take all of it back. She loved him even more now, and his absence made her ache worse.

* * *

She received a call from Kelly when she returned home. The younger girl had already picked out a potential new flat for the two of them and wanted Madelyn to drop by and see it with her. Madelyn couldn't say no and took the tube. The potential flat was on the other side of London, close to the university Kelly mentioned she was pretty sure she'd be accepted into.

It was just a short walk from the station to the flat. Madelyn saw Kelly climbing out of a cab as she approached, followed by a dapper young man with an asymmetrical haircut, probably the real estate agent. Kelly waved at her from across the street then said something to the man. Madelyn quickly made her way over and Kelly gave her a tight hug.

"I've missed you! I hope you're doing well. All that awful business on the telly… You certainly look well. This is Darren. He's going to show us the flat!"

Madelyn just smiled and shook Darren's hand. He winced slightly as she let him go, and she smirked. They headed into the building and stepped into the lift, where Kelly pressed the button for the right floor, nearly at the top of the building.

"You're not going to believe this place, Maddy. I didn't when I saw the ad. It's absolutely posh!"

"Just remember I'm not paying all the rent," Madelyn replied.

They filed out of the lift after a few moments, and Darren let them into the flat, one of only four on that level.

"This place just went on the market, so the previous tenant hasn't quite finished moving out," said Darren. "Hope you don't mind."

Madelyn didn't. It helped her see what the space would look like filled out with furniture, and there was a lot of space. She only half listened as Darren showed them everything he could think of, his fingers flying over the PADD tucked into his arm. Kelly was completely enthralled with him, but Madelyn was pretty sure he was gay. Poor girl.

The flat was practically a loft, the main room offering a wide 180-degree view of central London through glass windows that could be shaded or lightened with the touch of a button. The flooring was crafted from top of the line materials, and the light fixtures were the latest in environmentally-friendly design concepts. Despite the flat's sleek and monochromatic design, whoever lived in this place had more traditional tastes, and Madelyn half-wished the furnishings came with the deal. Glancing into the bedrooms and the bathrooms, which Darren described as "super mod," Madelyn decided she liked the place, but only if Kelly could keep her end of the deal with the rent. She imagined a place like this didn't come cheaply. Not that she was short on funds, but she didn't feel like picking up the slack of a teenage girl.

Darren thought it'd be fun to go outside onto the balcony just to show off the view, but Madelyn was content remain inside alone. The sun was setting and it was just too cold. She lingered in the living area, her eyes drifting over the odds and ends scattered about, until they landed on a cluster of photographs piled in an open box, probably about to be packed away. A familiar blonde bob caught her eye and she bent down to get a closer look. It was a photo of a younger Carol Marcus, standing beside her father and an older blond woman Madelyn didn't recognize. With the Statue of Liberty in the background, they were obviously in New York, but the photo must have been a few years old at least. Madelyn picked through the stack of photos, seeing more of Carol and Admiral Marcus, and the other woman who she quickly decided was Carol's mother.

Suddenly feeling very nosey, she put the photos back in their stack and straightened, just as she heard someone open the flat's front door. Though she technically hadn't been doing anything wrong, she suddenly felt like a deer caught in headlights as she came face to face with Carol herself. The blonde blanched at first, blinking rapidly, her mouth opening to protest, but then she glanced towards the open door where Darren and Kelly were standing outside and quickly realized what was going on. Carol pressed her lips into a thin smile and tossed her handbag in a nearby chair as Madelyn just stood where she was, her hands hanging innocently at her sides.

"Ms. McGivers," she said tightly. "What a surprise."

Madelyn suddenly wanted to leave right away, and quickly gathered up her shoulder bag and scarf, which she'd draped over the same chair. "I didn't realize this was your apartment we were looking at, Dr. Marcus. I'm sure Darren didn't mean for us to intrude like this."

"Oh no, you're not intruding. I just wasn't expecting to see _you_." Carol's face was as tight as her voice remained as she glanced between Madelyn and the slender real estate agent who was coming back through the door with Kelly close behind. "And there's no need for titles. You can call me Carol."

Madelyn bit her lip at how awkward she felt. If she'd known this was Carol's flat she never would have agreed to come. She glanced at Kelly, who gratefully noticed her expression but then looked curiously at Carol. "Are you a friend of Maddy's too? I'm Kelly!"

Madelyn restrained her eye roll as Carol took the teenager's offered hand, still slightly surprised. Before anyone could say anything else to make things more awkward, Madelyn grabbed Kelly's arm and made a smooth transition from the living room to the flat's front door. "Well this place is nice, but we were just about to leave anyway. Sorry to bother you, Carol."

She escaped to the hall outside but before she shut the door completely she heard Carol remark to Darren. "I don't know what that was about. We had a rough patch but I think I'm over it now—"

Madelyn felt a slight tinge of guilt as she shut the door and hurried into the lift, still pulling Kelly with her.

"Maddy! What the hell's got into you?"

She couldn't let out her breath until they were moving swiftly downward. "It's a long story, Kelly. Frankly I don't want to talk about it."

Actually, she just didn't want to tell Kelly how the man she loved had broken Carol's leg and crushed Carol's father's skull in front of both of them. But she remembered what she'd overheard Carol saying as they left, and reconsidered the idea of never looking at the flat again, especially when Kelly huffed and grumbled about it being "the most perfect flat" she'd ever seen this side of London.

On her way home, Madelyn regretted the way she'd reacted and promised herself she'd go back and apologize, just not tonight. She needed to come to grips with being reunited with Carol Marcus. She didn't know Carol very well, but the small amount of time they had spent together on the Vengeance had formed a nauseating association. Madelyn knew neither of them was at fault for what had happened, but she was nonetheless bothered.

* * *

The next few days passed uneventfully. Madelyn left Carol several messages in an attempt to apologize, but was frustrated she couldn't speak to her in person. She went to coffee with Kelly one morning to discuss their future flat plans. She tried to explain herself as best as she could about her reaction to seeing Carol, and though she left a lot to be desired when it came to details, she was able to convince Kelly that she'd reacted poorly and did still want to move into that flat. Kelly was happy to hear that, and began going on about her ideas for decorating their new home. Madelyn was glad to change the subject to something more frivolous, and buried herself in Kelly's ideas to make herself forget that when she was alone time passed bitterly slow.

It wasn't until the end of the week when someone unexpectedly turned up. When Madelyn saw Elizabeth Janeway's face at her front door that evening, she grinned and couldn't help but give her a light hug before letting her inside. Janeway took a moment to survey the flat while Madelyn helped her with her coat.

"Do you want anything? I just made coffee, and there's leftover lasagna—"

"I'm alright, thank you, Madelyn. You seem to be doing well."

Madelyn paused and took a breath, not realizing how happy she was to have someone over other than Kelly. "I'm okay," she said slowly. "It's really great to see you. I was thinking about you the other day, actually. I'd heard you made it off Starbase One, but I found it hard to believe. Did Bones give you my address?"

"Commander Spock, actually. Dr. McCoy is off-world at the moment, visiting his daughter on Cerberus."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, and then Janeway pulled something out of her bag. "The reason I'm here is I wanted to return this to you." She held out a neatly wrapped package and Madelyn took it curiously. "I could've mailed it, but I decided this would be more personable."

Madelyn quickly tore open the brown paper, her breath catching in her throat as she caught sight of the familiar photograph Khan had saved and used to track her when she'd been kidnapped by Dr. Dahl. She clutched it to her chest and reached over to give Janeway another hug. "I thought I'd lost this. Thank you."

She placed it carefully on the kitchen counter and then noticed Janeway had tears glimmering in her eyes. Madelyn frowned. "What is it?"

Janeway laughed softly, shaking her head. "I hope my daughter grows up to be as strong as you."

"Oh my god, you have a daughter? How old is she?"

"Thirteen, right on the cusp of puberty. I swear some days I don't know how I do it."

"Normally I'd say send her my way, but I'm about to move out of here and in with an eighteen year old girl, so I think my hands will be full enough."

Janeway smirked. "I wouldn't do that to you anyway. Besides, she'll be staying at her dad's while I'm away on the Entente for five years, hopefully starting next month." She adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "Well, I'd better be off. I have a few other things I want to do before I need to head back to San Francisco."

"Wait." Madelyn put a hand on her arm. "Has—has there been any word from Khan?"

Janeway thought about it for a moment. "No, not that I'm aware. It's only been a couple weeks though."

Madelyn swallowed and tried to smile again but found it harder. "Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't be so worried about him. He can take care of himself." But she couldn't help but remember the damage Joaquin had done to him.

"Commander Spock filled me in on what happened. He said Captain Kirk was giving Khan another chance, if I recall correctly. But he gave me the impression that it was his idea, not Kirk's."

Madelyn nodded. "I don't know why he had a change of heart, especially after the beating Khan gave him. Despite what he claims about being Mr. Logical, I know Spock is a kind and generous person, and I think maybe he saw something between Khan and I that… got his attention." Janeway chuckled at Madelyn's description of Spock. Madelyn shrugged. "I'm just grasping at straws here, but I want to believe he has my back."

"Don't ever tell James Kirk what you just told me. If the reports on his friendship with Commander Spock are true, then you understand Spock better than the Captain of the Enterprise."

Madelyn could tell by the light in Janeway's eyes that she was teasing her and they shared another quick hug before Janeway stepped out the door.

"I'm leaving in a couple weeks, so feel free to call me if you need anything, alright? But I know you'll be fine."

Madelyn waved and thanked her again and watched the auburn-haired captain stride confidently away and around the corner to the lift. She shut the door to her flat quietly then went into her bedroom and pulled out her PADD. She sent a quick message to Spock, asking if he'd heard anything from Khan. Then her communicator went off, signaling she had a text. It was Kelly, asking if she wanted to go out that evening for drinks with a few other people. Madelyn declined.

She went over to her closet and pulled out Khan's shirt. It still smelled faintly of him, the black fabric unwashed since he'd given it to her fresh off of his warm body. She fell back onto the bed, pressing the shirt to her face, her throat tightening at the thought of him. She shut her eyes and pretended her fingers were clutching his hair, that his body was pressed against hers, that his arms were around her waist and his lips were grazing her skin. But the cold in the room was a quick reminder that she was still alone, and she curled herself into a ball beneath the sheets.


	42. Chapter 42

_**A/N: Ugh, I'm so sorry for yet another delay. I haven't been feeling 100% and it's taken a toll on my ability to focus and write properly. I'm so close to finishing this story now, I can feel it, and I just want to thank all of you who have stuck by as I chug out these first drafts. Look for the rewrite to appear on my profile within a few weeks, as well as my new Sherlock fic!**_

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-TWO**

* * *

_Five Months Later_

* * *

"I swear if you don't go out with him tomorrow, then I will!" Kelly sent a spray of soapy water in Madelyn's direction as they cleaned the kitchen after dinner.

Madelyn ducked away and threw a dishtowel at her roommate. "If you like him so much, why aren't you going out with him?"

"Because he's your age! And besides, he's not my type."

Madelyn grinned. "What is your type, Kelly?"

The blonde matched her look mischievously. "Tall, dark hair, gorgeous eyes, and a deep voice."

Madelyn couldn't hide her smile, but she wasn't smiling with Kelly; she was smiling at her. The girl had a lot to learn about relationships, and Madelyn couldn't quite believe she'd let Kelly set her up on a blind date for Saturday lunch tomorrow.

"What about you?" asked Kelly, giving the stovetop a final swipe. "What sort of man do you fall for?"

Madelyn bit her lip when she realized Khan fit Kelly's ideal description to a T. But Mark had been blond and shorter, and the two years she'd spent in New York married to him had almost been perfect.

"I don't have a type," she said after a moment. "It's not always about looks, you know."

"Sure, but don't tell me you didn't go out with that John Harrison bloke at least once." Kelly made a moaning noise and spun in a circle as she made her way out of the kitchen. "I still remember the day he walked into my building and up to my desk and just stared down at me with those deep blue eyes, and when he spoke it was like listening to melted chocolate. It's too bad he turned out to be a psycho."

Madelyn raised her eyebrows at Kelly's description of Khan, surprised that she still remembered that day. Khan must have made an impression on her, she decided. He was good at making impressions.

"I spent some time with him," Madelyn replied blandly, hoping not to get Kelly curious. The blonde grinned and leaned back against the counter in an attempt to showcase her apparent need to know more. Madelyn smiled with closed lips and shook her head. "Sorry, not going there."

"Oh, come on! It's not like we're strangers; we've been living together for almost five months now. Tell me a little something. I want to know!"

Madelyn chewed on the inside of her lip, thinking of something she could say without being too obvious. She knew she could play with the girl's immaturity enough to keep her forever guessing and that was all she wanted. She turned on her heel and smirked at Kelly. "If I told you anything, you'd only want to know more out of jealousy."

Kelly giggled. "So you did have a thing for him! I knew it!"

Madelyn made a noise that told Kelly she wasn't going to say anything more.

"Right, I'm sure it didn't end well. I saw everything on the telly, but I don't believe some of the things they said. I imagine it must have been dreadful."

Madelyn appreciated Kelly's sympathetic look, but quickly changed the subject. "So tell me his name. Anything you think I should know—"

Kelly rolled her eyes. "It's a blind date, silly. You don't get to know anything."

* * *

The following day, on her way to the café at which she was supposed to meet Kelly's mystery friend, Madelyn wondered how she had even gotten to this point. The café was only a short walk from their flat, but she intentionally took a longer route through the park to give herself a chance to gather her thoughts together without Kelly butting in.

Khan had been gone for over five months. She wanted to believe he was alive somewhere, but deep down a dark feeling had begun to eat away at her hope. It wasn't like him to purposefully stay away. Something was wrong.

She'd managed to keep in touch with Dr. McCoy and Carol Marcus, who were currently in a relationship and growing increasingly serious about it. The couple spent most of their time in San Francisco, but was occasionally able to drop by London for a weekend. Though Madelyn had corresponded with Spock on several occasions concerning Khan, it was McCoy she found the most understanding, despite his often subtle but callous remarks about the "damn superman." The doctor admitted he kept up with certain communications that passed through certain sectors, and had recently confirmed that there had been nothing mentioning Khan or anyone like him. That was the only thing that still comforted her though. If there was no mention of Khan at all, then he was somehow keeping himself under the radar. He had to be. Otherwise he was dead, and that was something she wouldn't accept. Not yet.

Meanwhile, life in London had found its proper pace. Madelyn had recently (and finally) gotten a job as a research assistant at the university Kelly had been accepted to. She knew the reason they'd planted her overqualified self in such a low level position could probably be traced up to the university board's need to keep their public image spotless. Though her face and name were finally disappearing from the seediest tabloids, every now and then she would receive a look on the street or overhear a comment from someone nearby, and it would remind her that people could hold grudges for as long as they pleased. She imagined if she were living in San Francisco it would be worse.

She finally made her way back towards the café and chose a table by the window. Kelly's friend made himself apparent when he recognized Madelyn as soon as he'd stepped inside the establishment, and made a beeline for her table. Kelly must have shown him a picture.

When she first saw him, she knew immediately he was nothing like Khan. He was tall and skinny and wore clothes that looked like he'd picked them out particularly for their date. A closer glance told her he cared a lot about his possessions, and about making a certain kind of impression. His old-fashioned wristwatch and his leather boots were both spectacularly clean. Too clean. No one wore real leather boots anymore unless they worked outdoors, and his looked brand new. His dark brown hair was short and curly, and there was a five o'clock shadow on his jaw and neck. His bone structure was round and soft and nothing like Khan's, but he did have kind, unassuming eyes. He was cute, she decided, in a plain sort of way that reminded her of a nice guy she knew in college who sat in the same coffee shop every morning reading the latest popular novel.

He shook her hand and introduced himself as Joseph Russell. His accent made it obvious he'd been born and bred in London. He seemed nice and quickly suggested they eat first and then talk, so Madelyn agreed. They ordered, and she tried not to be too put off by his questions while they waited for their food. It wasn't the questions he asked her that bothered her, but the way he asked them, barely giving either of them space to breathe or a moment to pause and think. Khan often reveled in silent moments. He could say a thousand more things with just a look.

The food came and Madelyn took the opportunity to chow down and not try to fill the silence, because when she didn't, Joseph did. She noticed how he ate and decided she liked him less and less. He ate quickly and breathed loudly while he chewed, as though he was enjoying his food but needed to finish it quickly so he could continue talking. She remembered how Khan ate, silently and never in a hurry to continue his thoughts out loud. His focus in a conversation was always firmly planted, sometimes so much so that the person on the receiving end of his dialogue often couldn't quite handle more than a moment of eye contact. But the focus of Joseph's attention as he spoke was all over the place, and Madelyn suddenly missed that steeled intensity she always received from Khan.

She listened to Joseph talk for a while, uninterested in his ramblings about his career aspirations involving the promotion of environmental protections for the moors up north, and how the continued construction of smaller traditional villages was preferable to the larger modern structures that larger cities consisted of, as it promoted historical tourism and other things that sounded like something Madelyn might write about in a research paper rather than use as a topic of conversation on a date. Finally, he decided to ask her about herself when he didn't give her a chance to speak, and she answered a few of his questions, like where she'd gone to school and whether she'd had any serious relationships before (which she only answered with basic information about her two year marriage to Mark before he passed away).

She bit her lip and gave him a weird look when he reached across the table and put his fingers on top of her hand, and stated plainly that he was sorry about her loss, and that he thought she was pretty and that he wanted to see her again. As if flattery was going to make her more interested in him. She realized he hadn't asked her anything else about herself other than her romantic history, which she was very hesitant to open up about if only because the only other relationship she'd ever valued, other than her marriage to Mark, had been with Khan.

In a stroke of brilliant timing, her phone went off and she apologized profusely to check it. She'd forgotten to turn it off, and was suddenly grateful she hadn't. To her amusement it was Dr. McCoy. She stood from the table, pulled a credit chip from her purse, and handed it to Joseph. "I've got to take this call. It was nice meeting you." Then she quickly left the café.

"Thanks for calling, Bones. You just saved me from an unwanted date."

_"Oh, I didn't know you were, uh—"_

"It was Kelly's idea. Anyway, why were you calling?"

_"Carol's birthday is coming up and she wanted to go to London to celebrate with some friends, but I told her I couldn't come because Jim thought it'd be funny to sabotage my work schedule. Anyway I got that worked out but I haven't told Carol, so I wanna surprise her, and I thought maybe you could help me out with that."_

Madelyn grinned. "I'd love to help you out. We can do it at my place. I'm sure Kelly would have no problem with a party. When exactly?"

_"Next weekend, unless we get called out on an emergency assignment. There's been some trouble with the Klingons recently, but after what Admiral Marcus pulled, I'm not surprised."_

"So my place, maybe Friday night around six?"

_"Sounds like a plan!"_

"See ya then."

Madelyn ended the call and did a little skip in between steps. Throwing a party for Carol Marcus was exactly what she needed to be focused on, not anything remotely having to do with dating.

* * *

The resulting effects of McCoy and Madelyn's plans for a surprise party for Carol quickly brought Jim Kirk back into her life as well. It wasn't altogether awful, but she didn't appreciate the way he showed up at her apartment door without warning the day before the party was supposed to happen. It wasn't that she was frustrated with seeing him, but she knew his presence in her apartment would change things, especially given the way he almost instantly began flirting with Kelly.

Madelyn had to give him credit though. He tried to make an effort for his friends, even when on temporary leave, and if that meant intruding into other people's territories then so be it. She had to admit he wasn't half as bad as she'd remembered, but his behavior during Khan's trial had left a bad taste in her mouth and it would take something drastic from Kirk to wash that out.

He ate dinner with the two of them that evening and kept going on about the big surprise he had planned for Carol tomorrow.

"As long as it doesn't involve wrecking the apartment," said Madelyn. Kirk just grinned widely and winked at Kelly, and Madelyn rolled her eyes. "I hope you've got somewhere to stay tonight. I wasn't planning on company—"

"Oh no, he can stay here tonight!" Kelly butted in. "He can sleep on the couch."

Kirk grinned and looked back at Madelyn. "Yeah, see? I knew it wouldn't be a problem."

Madelyn sent Kelly a cool look and walked out of the kitchen. "Since you've invited yourself to sleep here tonight, you get to do the dishes, Kirk." She went to the front door to slide on her flats and gather her shoulder bag. "I've got a few last minute things I need to pick up for tomorrow. Kelly, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"Uh, sure," was the blonde's hesitant reply.

Madelyn raised an eyebrow. "And you behave too."

Now it was Kelly's turn to roll her eyes. She muttered, "Yes, mum," just under her breath, obviously thinking Madelyn couldn't hear her. Biting her tongue to keep herself from retorting back, Madelyn left the apartment in a flustered hurry. Having Kirk spend the night had been the last thing she'd wanted or expected to happen.

She walked lazily down the dark street, her eyes darting to every dark crevice she passed. The streets weren't as occupied as they might normally be, but it was just past ten on a Thursday night. Despite the respectable neighborhood, she never once believed she was ever completely safe in the city, especially at night. It was well into summer, the air was warm and a light breeze brushed past her, giving her goosebumps through her loose t-shirt and cropped pants. She dropped by the local twenty-four hour convenient store to pick up a few snacks she still needed for the party, and a few other odds and ends she'd forgotten to get the other day. Her arms loaded down with two recyclable totes of merchandise, she walked carefully back home. She picked up her pace when she sensed movement across the street in the shadows cast by street lights, but when she turned she didn't see anything and brushed it off as her own paranoia.

She dug through her shoulder bag for the keycard to the apartment building—it locked itself after certain hours during the week—and suddenly found her fingers were shaking. She turned again, looking across the street. She swore she could feel someone watching her. Taking a breath, she focused her efforts on finding the card in her bag, cursing herself for not returning it to her wallet. Finally her fingers grazed the slip of metal and she quickly pulled it out and swiped it across the door's sensor. Not chancing another glance out into the dark, she hurried inside and made her way to the lift. She wouldn't feel safe until she was inside her own apartment.

She punched in her floor, tapping her foot on the floor as each level she passed was illuminated on the elevator control pad. Finally it chimed and she stepped into the corridor and hurried to her door. She knocked and Kelly quickly opened it and let her inside, relieving her of one of the bags of goods even though she didn't really need the help. She watched the girl hoist it onto the counter with both arms, a subtle reminder to Madelyn of what made her different from almost every human on the planet—no, in the galaxy. She swallowed and swatted internally at the cloud of doubt that insistently shrouded her hope that Khan was still alive, somewhere out there. But she knew she shouldn't keep clinging to her hope. Eventually she would have to move on. Maybe going on that date last week hadn't been such an awful thing.

The dishes in the kitchen had been cleaned and put away. Madelyn had checked when she saw Kirk in the living room watching television with drooping eyes, his feet propped up on the coffee table. She smiled at how comfortable he'd made himself so quickly, and yet was still irked by the fact that he'd put his feet on the coffee table. She dropped her bag on the table in the foyer and yawned, then went back into the kitchen to set up the coffee pot for morning.

"Kirk, do you drink coffee?"

"Sure, if you're makin' some."

"Well, in the morning, yeah."

"Cool, thanks."

She yawned again and set up the coffee maker so it would brew a full pot in the morning. "I do it the old-fashioned way. Hope you don't mind," she called.

There was no response. She finished up and went back into the living room. Kelly had already gone to bed, and Kirk had lain down and fallen asleep. Feeling the corner of her mouth rise in a slight smile, Madelyn reached down and turned off the television, then grabbed a blanket from the basket nearby and gently tossed it over him so if he woke up he wouldn't be freezing. Then she turned off the lights and was suddenly engulfed in silent darkness.

She stood there for a moment, listening to Kirk breathe and wrapped her arms over her chest. There she was again, feeling cold and lonely. She went over to the wide windows that overlooked the city. London's lights stretched to the horizon, brightly lit skyscrapers glowing with faint colors. She lifted her eyes to the night sky, barely hundreds of stars visible outside the ambient light pollution.

If Khan was out there somewhere, he would have sent her some kind of message, just to reassure her he was alive. She was starting to believe he wasn't, and she knew he wouldn't want that. He would want her to know for sure he was coming back, wouldn't he?

The cloud of doubt swirled over her mind, and she pulled her thoughts back to the present moment. She was beginning to wonder, that after a certain amount of time, whether or not she would be able to find the will to stay in England. She needed a change of scenery. There was only so much she could share with Kelly, and the few other people she'd kept in contact with had begun to distance themselves from her, for reasons she suspected had to do with what had occurred five months ago. The only other people she still had in her life were there reluctantly, or despite her own begrudging need for someone to be there, other than McCoy. Ever since he'd started seeing Carol, however, he hadn't been around as much either. She was excited for tomorrow, for the new faces she would hopefully get to meet when they came for Carol's party, but she couldn't help but intuitively expect the usual comments about her "former association with a terrorist" and the like. It didn't matter that it had been five months. Comments like that stuck, and so did the looks that went with them.

She turned from the window and made her way through the dark to her bedroom, being careful not to make a sound that could wake Kirk, who had repositioned himself on the couch and pulled up the blanket. Maybe she needed more than a change of scenery. Maybe she needed to move halfway across the globe, or to a colony on another planet, somewhere no one knew her name if that was possible. She needed new faces in her life that wouldn't remind her of everything she had been through.

Somehow, she needed to start over.

* * *

Over twenty of Carol's friends and former classmates were crammed into Madelyn's apartment right on time the following afternoon, along with Dr. McCoy. A while later Carol finally arrived, thinking only that she would see a few friends at Madelyn's expense. Instead, she received a huge surprise she had clearly not been expecting. Carol chided McCoy for lying to her about where he was going that weekend, and the doctor just shrugged and made up some lame excuse that only made Carol grin. Madelyn loved watching them interact with each other and decided that Carol's common-sense approach jived well with McCoy's straightforward honesty.

As the afternoon turned into night and the party wore down and the apartment grew larger as people left, Madelyn realized she'd actually enjoyed herself. She'd met a few nice people, and conversations hadn't touched anything remotely sensitive to her. Whether these people even knew who she was didn't matter anyway, because their attentions had been on and for Carol and Madelyn was happy to contribute to that. And thanks to Kirk, drinks had flowed the entire time (and were still flowing).

By nine o'clock, everyone had left save for McCoy and Carol and Kirk. The latter was lounging intimately close to Kelly on the couch, his arm around her shoulders, while McCoy and Carol sat nearby, grazing through the collection of photos they'd taken during the party, making comments about each one and laughing with each other. Madelyn made a poor attempt to start cleaning up, then decided she was slightly too intoxicated to think straight and collapsed in a lounge chair next to the couch. She stared at Kirk as he whispered something in Kelly's ear that made the blonde giggle and snort, then shot him a look when his hand traveled over her roommate's thigh. He stopped before Kelly realized what he was doing and just smirked. Both of them knew Kelly had had too much to drink, and Kelly was too smitten with Kirk to care. With her tongue in her cheek, Madelyn silently vowed not to let Kirk take advantage of her roommate, but still secretly thought their interactions were cuter than anything. She would have felt like the awkward fifth wheel had Kelly not risen unsteadily from the couch and sauntered into the kitchen. Madelyn's jaw tightened when she saw Kirk's eyes rake over Kelly's behind. She was about to warn Kirk she'd beat his ass if he pulled anything, when the doorbell chimed.

At first nobody moved, because the party was over and no one else was expected. McCoy muttered something along those lines, but Carol shook her head. "Everyone I wanted to see was here tonight. It must be for you, Madelyn."

Kirk laughed. "Maybe Spock was gonna come and forgot."

Nobody laughed with him. Kelly wandered out of the kitchen with a glass of water and raised her eyebrows at Madelyn before plopping down beside Kirk again. "You going to answer that?"

Sighing, Madelyn forced herself out of her comfortable chair and ambled into the foyer, running her fingers through her hair absentmindedly. She noticed her face felt warm; she was still a tad buzzed, but it felt good. Not even bothering to check who it might be with the com, she unlocked the single deadbolt and opened the door, raising her eyes casually. Then all the alcohol in her system vaporized.

Her fingers tightened on the door. She blinked, shifted her footing, then swallowed when she felt her face growing warmer. "I thought you were…" She trailed off, unwilling to finish the sentence. Khan stared down at her for a few silent moments, his eyes raking over her.

"Oh my god." Madelyn leaned against the doorframe for a fraction of a second, feeling slightly dizzy. She couldn't take her eyes off him.


	43. Chapter 43

**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE**

* * *

"Oh my god," she repeated.

Khan's brow tightened and he leaned towards her, inhaling slightly. "You're drunk."

She barely registered his comment, swallowing at his proximity, at the fact that he was standing there. He looked worn. Not haggard as though he was tired, but weathered, as though he'd seen things and withstood them as they blew around him. He tried to come inside and she planted herself in the doorway, her hand still clutching the door. His face stiffened when they both heard McCoy coming around the corner, Khan's eyes narrowing a fraction of a centimeter. Madelyn realized her mouth was still open and clamped it shut.

"You alright, Madel—?" She didn't turn when he came up behind her. "Well I'll be damned," he muttered.

Khan's eyes flitted to the doctor, his expression regaining a hardened exterior. Madelyn knew how this probably looked to him and turned her head to McCoy, shaking it as a warning. Getting the hint, McCoy backed off and disappeared around the corner back into the apartment where Carol and Kirk and Kelly were. Madelyn couldn't let Khan inside, not with Carol there, or Kirk. She looked back up at him, her heart doing somersaults in her chest.

"I don't know what to say," she murmured. She knew what she wanted to do, but she felt vulnerable with the others so close by. Quickly she stepped towards him and pulled the door shut behind her, forcing them to stand flush to each other outside the apartment.

"Why is Dr. McCoy here?"

Madelyn shut her eyes at the sound of his voice, at his warm breath ghosting her face, and because she was going to have to explain. She opened her eyes again and stared down at his feet, noticing his worn clothing. Old, sturdy boots, weathered trousers that were probably once black, and a plain dark shirt underneath a rugged, wide-collared jacket that came down to his knees. Despite the way he looked, he smelled clean in an unfamiliar way, like rustic leather and sterile air, as though he'd been traveling for a long time, and not just in space.

She reached up and put a hand on his face, feeling a wave of comfort wash over her at the shape of his jaw and cheekbone against her skin. He hadn't shaved in several days and his skin wasn't as smooth. His jaw tensed beneath her touch and it was all she could do to keep herself from pulling him down to her mouth right there against the door.

"It's Carol's birthday," she said quietly. "I threw her a party—"

Her thought process was shattered as Khan slid his hands around her waist and lifted her off the ground, pinning her between him and the door. She steadied herself with her arms around his shoulders and wrapped her legs around him, her skirt bunching up to reveal her thighs. His mouth mashed with hers, sucking air from her lungs with powerful kisses. Madelyn gasped for air, clutching his jacket, his neck, his hair, hissing as his lips skirted down her neck and his teeth took her skin between them, biting down enough to make her nails dig into his scalp. He pressed his lips to the mark he'd made and came back to her mouth for more, his hands sliding inside her shirt and up her back.

She could feel him straining in his pants, and his fingers had snuck underneath her bra, ready to tear it in two. She mumbled his name between kisses, moaning softly as he crushed his hips against hers. A growl rose in the back of his throat and she almost forgot where they were, backed up against her apartment door in the corridor of the building. She pulled her fingers from his hair and took his face so they could look at each other, both of them panting with parted, swollen lips.

"We can't do this right now," she breathed.

Confusion and incredulity wracked Khan's face, but his fingers paused on their desperate hunt across her skin. "Carol?" he murmured, remembering what she'd been saying before he interrupted her.

She swallowed. "Carol Marcus."

Khan closed his lips and loosened his hold on her so she could return to her feet. His confusion was replaced with a cool composure that put more distance between them than Madelyn could see. "Who else is inside?" he asked with a notable lack of emotion.

She knew there was no point in lying, as he would see right through it. "My roommate, Kelly, and Jim Kirk."

At the look that passed over his face, Madelyn caught his wrist before he could reach for the door handle.

"I swear if you do anything—"

Her words were cut off this time by the apartment door opening behind her. Khan's attention was drawn away from her like a magnet, and she turned to see Kirk staring at him with shock that quickly turned into anger.

"What the fu—"

Madelyn let go of Khan and pushed Kirk back into the apartment as he spouted off a string of vulgar expressions. She felt Khan behind her and half-expected him to pull her out of the way so he could attack Kirk, but when she had Kirk successfully backing off, she looked over her shoulder to see Khan merely standing in the foyer, watching Kirk with keen eyes but showing no sign of active aggression. Kirk stalked across the room to where McCoy, Kelly, and Carol were now on their feet, their collective attentions frozen on the Augment as his eyes swept the apartment. Madelyn regretted the faint look of terror that ghosted Carol's face, and was extremely grateful Dr. McCoy was glued to her side.

Kirk's pacing brought him back around the couch to face Khan again. His face was beet red and his hands were fists held up in the air. Madelyn held her ground in front of him despite his obvious intentions to provoke Khan. She knew he wouldn't be acting so aggressive if it weren't for the alcohol in his system, but that didn't mean he couldn't still cause harm. She wasn't about to let her apartment get destroyed, much less force Khan into a fight he didn't appear to want. She glanced back at him, unsure what to do next. Kirk was practically bouncing on his toes, ready to pounce.

Khan made a subtle move forward so that his hands grazed her back. She knew his proximity was his version of a fail-safe, should Kirk step too far out of line.

"Captain," said Khan, making use of the moniker just to grab the man's attention. "Do you really think your behavior is necessary? Look at where you're standing. Look at who is in this room with you."

Kirk raised an eyebrow, his nostrils flaring, his fingers adjusting in their fists. "I know exactly where I am and what I want to do to you right now. You almost killed my first officer."

Madelyn faintly recalled the beating Khan had given Spock in the shuttle after they had rescued her from Owen Gallagher. That had been five months ago. Kirk was more drunk than she thought.

The corner of Khan's mouth lifted in a subtle smirk. "We both know I could kill you instantly if I wanted to, but I'm not here for you." His gaze flitted from Kirk to Madelyn. He hesitated, and she frowned trying to decipher what he was doing. Then he looked past her. "I'm here for Carol Marcus."

* * *

The room grew dead silent. The confusion that replaced Kirk's anger spread across Madelyn's face as well, and Khan regretted that he'd not yet told her everything that had happened to him over these past five months.

"Wh-what?" Carol stuttered from across the room.

Khan forced himself to retain a passive façade. This had not been his original intent when he'd arrived at Madelyn's apartment. In fact he hadn't expected anyone to be there at all after seeing the large amount of people exiting the building earlier. But seeing the opportunity present itself, he knew he needed to say what he was about to say, and in front of both Madelyn and these particular Enterprise crewmembers. Most importantly, he needed a way to calm Kirk down enough to avoid the fight that the young captain seemed to think was inevitable, as he had no desire to break bone or spill blood in front of Madelyn.

"I'm here to offer an apology, Dr. Marcus, for any trouble your father's death may have caused you. When I took the Vengeance, my sole intention was to rid myself of the problems your father caused me. I did not expect your presence or your interference."

He glanced at Madelyn again and considered the look she gave him, the way her brow tightened and her lips parted, her head tilting in a way that told him she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"The fuck did you just say?" Kirk spat.

Khan looked back at him, watching his confusion morph into anger and disbelief. "I don't need to repeat myself," he replied, his voice barely concealing his need to give Kirk a taste of his own medicine once more. He turned his gaze to Carol again, watching as she struggled to come to grips with what he'd said, or maybe with simply sharing the room with him. Poised to halt Kirk's potential strike, Madelyn still stood between them, but Khan wasn't going to allow him the pleasure of a fight. There was no reason for it anymore and it would only disturb Madelyn.

Before anyone could do or say anything else, Carol firmly announced she was leaving. She spared a firm glance at McCoy, then stormed past them all towards the front door, her blue eyes glaring at Madelyn. She snatched up her belongings by the door and lifted her chin, her glistening eyes giving her away immediately. "Apology accepted, if I can believe it's real," she bit back. "Leonard, shall we go?"

McCoy followed her out of the apartment, glancing at Madelyn with a singular eyebrow raised and faint shake of his head. Madelyn's reaction was so faint, only Khan could have noticed it. Her jaw tightened and her lips pursed, and she didn't look up but only winced when the door slammed shut, leaving just the two of them with Kirk and Kelly. Immediately, Kirk's attention snapped back to Khan, and the Augment let out a faint sigh.

"You think you can just walk in here and tell everyone you're sorry for what you did, huh? Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

With every word, Kirk pressed himself closer and closer in, despite the hand Madelyn had put on his arm. Khan eyed Kirk, feeling a tinge of jealousy at the way Madelyn was gripping his shirt in her attempt to hold him back. Kirk was truly asking for it.

"It's been nearly five months, Kirk. I thought you would have moved on by now. You disappoint me."

He narrowed his gaze even as Madelyn turned and glared up at him. Maybe he was trying goad Kirk into responding. Maybe he did want to fight. The only thing standing between them he could easily push aside. He could almost feel Kirk's face crumbling under his knuckles.

"Kirk, just stop this."

Madelyn's voice brought Khan to his senses. He needed her more than he needed a fight. He had no reason to fight anymore.

Quickly, before Madelyn could react, Khan grabbed Kirk by his shirt collars and dragged him backwards to the apartment door. The man yelped and aimed a punch at his face, but the angle and pressure of it did nothing to stop him. Khan opened the apartment door and tossed Kirk outside into the corridor, just roughly enough to make him groan on the floor. Satisfied that he wasn't getting up too quickly, he turned to see Kelly rushing around gathering her things from around the apartment. Madelyn made a poor attempt to stop her.

"Kelly, wait. Don't—"

"No, don't even say it," she replied harshly, cutting off Madelyn's protests. She quickly pulled on a pair of boots and shouldered her purse. "I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but I obviously can't live with you anymore, not if he's around."

Kelly hurried out the door, not even sparing Khan a glance, and went to help Kirk off the floor.

"Kelly, please don't do this."

"Sorry, Maddy, but this guy…" Kelly trailed off, looking at Khan with a mixture of revulsion and confusion, then she turned away with Kirk's arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry." The pair went down the corridor and disappeared into the lift.

Khan shut the apartment door and turned as Madelyn sank down into the couch, the backs of her fingers pressed to her mouth. He walked across the room towards her and saw by her knit brow that she was trying very hard to hold herself together. She stood up from the couch to face him and inhaled sharply, but it was really a sob disguised as a sudden breath.

"Who do you think you are?"

Kirk's words sounded bitter on her tongue. He closed in on her, reaching down to take her waist. She tried to slap him and he caught her wrist and gently held it behind her back. She pushed against him, her face bunched up angrily even as he pulled her close.

"You can't just show up out of the blue and kick everyone out of my apartment and expect me to—to accept that!"

"I did nothing except apologize for my actions," said Khan. "As for Kirk, he was about to become a violent drunk. He needed to go."

She stared up at him through glistening eyes, looking like she was about to break down into sobs. But she didn't. Khan released her hand and she reached around and took his face again. "What happened to you?" she said softly.

Khan shut his eyes for a moment at the warmth her palm gave his cheek. When he looked again, he saw the way she was looking at him, her brow tight, her beautiful eyes full of questions. "A lot of things," he replied. He needed her so badly.

He lifted his hands from her waist and pulled her face up to meet his so he could kiss her. Madelyn melted against him, exhaling into his mouth, her fingers creeping into his hair

"I missed you," she breathed.

The way she said it made Khan ache. He groaned and trailed his lips down her neck, biting down on the mark he'd made earlier, smiling when she gasped. His hands dropped to her waist again and slid underneath her shirt, his fingers running along the ridge of her backbone. He wanted to be inside her so badly. It had been far too long since they'd last had each other.

Breaking their kiss, he shrugged out of his coat and dropped it to the floor, then pulled off Madelyn's shirt. He ripped his own off as well, while her hands grappled for his belt. Then he pulled off his boots and watched as Madelyn took off her bra, revealing her small, round breasts. He growled at the sight of her, and at the strain he felt in his trousers, and grabbed her before she could drop her skirt to the floor.

She laughed softly as he carried her into the privacy of her bedroom where there were no wide windows revealing them to the London night, wrapping her legs around his waist, pressing herself against his growing arousal. She took his lips between her teeth and bit down, and Khan was surprised at the strength in the bite. He growled in the back of his throat and pinned her to the bed with his body. She grinned up at him.

He ran his hands along the insides of her thighs, pushing the thin fabric of her skirt out of the way until he found the narrow strip of black hiding her from him. His fingers tore away the offending fabric, running along her wet folds, brushing past her clitoris and eliciting an automatic response. Madelyn moaned and arched up against him, her hands running through his hair and over his neck and back. He trailed his lips down her neck and nibbled at the skin on her collarbones. He kissed down her chest, taking a nipple in his teeth as he slid two fingers inside her. She gasped, clutching at his hair, rocking her hips onto his hand. His thumb swirled around her clitoris and he slid another finger inside her. Madelyn clenched her eyes shut and moaned as he pressed his hand against her, curling his fingers against her walls while his thumb rhythmically worked her clitoris. She called out his name and grappled for a handhold, arching underneath him as he quickly drove her over the edge.

He teased her clitoris for a few more moments, drawing a squeal that made him chuckle against her skin. He watched as she shivered through her orgasm and collapsed in the sheets beneath him, breathing hard, her nipples perky and cheeks flushed. Withdrawing his fingers from her, he slid them into his mouth so she could watch him as he tasted her.

Still shaking, Madelyn reached for him and pulled him down into another kiss, moaning as her juices mixed between their mouths, then he groaned suddenly as he felt her hand slide inside his pants and wrap around his arousal. She bit her lip as she pulled out his engorged organ, squeezing and kneading it in her hand. It was all Khan could do to keep himself from taking back control. He made a fist and pressed it into the mattress beside her head, and when he couldn't stand her teasing any longer, he pried her hand from him and pinned it to the bed.

Her grin melted into an agonized look of concentrated pleasure when he slid inside her. He groaned at the way her warmth enveloped him, how small she felt around him, how tightly her muscles took him. He rocked his hips against her as her arms locked around his shoulders, and buried his face against her neck, taking in the cool scent of her hair, realizing how much he'd missed her.

He never should have left her. They'd been torn apart so many times and each reunion had only led to something worse. As he drove his body against hers, Khan swore to end that cycle forever. Madelyn was his now, and would be until he breathed his last. Her moans filled the room as he pushed her towards climax, her nails digging into his back. He murmured in her ear, allowing her to ride out the waves of pleasure that shook her body before he continued.

Still hard and buried inside her, Khan pulled her up against him and backed her against the bed's headboard, holding himself up with a hand on the wall. She clutched the pillows underneath her as he rocked his hips, her back arching over his arm, her head pressing against the headboard. Khan moaned softly as her muscles palpitated around him and leaned over to kiss her, his hair falling into his eyes. She made noises into his mouth and he thrust inside her with growing intensity, the friction between them suddenly become too much.

With a growl, Khan began to rock his hips furiously against her, protecting her body from being beaten against the wall with his arm. Madelyn's hands snaked over his shoulders and down his back, her nails burning lines across his skin. She gasped for air as he let her mouth go, her eyes dark with desperation, her abdominal muscles tightening. She came for a third time, crying out his name, her head falling back and baring her neck to his teeth again. He attacked her skin, still plunging himself inside her feverishly. He had to be careful not to hurt her as he wrapped his arm around her hips, holding her against him while she recovered from her previous orgasm. She leaned her head over his shoulder, her hands clutching him everywhere, his hair, his shoulders, his arms. She slid her fingers inside the back of his pants, pressing their tips into his muscles, while she tightened and relaxed on him involuntarily.

After a moment, she straightened, brushing hair out of her face to make eye contact. Biting her lip in a grin, she rocked her hips against him, bracing herself on his shoulders to slide him deeper inside her. Khan felt her shiver against him, and could feel his own arousal about to breach the edge. Taking hold of her hips, he lay back into the sheets and watched her as she rose up and took him as deep as she could. He thrust up into her, willing himself to hold back. She was covered in sweat, locks of unruly dark hair clinging to her face and neck. Her small breasts bounced in time with her quickening motions. She was gasping for breath, moaning with each thrust he gave her. Khan groaned and let his eyes fall shut, feeling the edge approaching. Her warmth sliding along his shaft was almost too much.

With sweat beading on his own forehead, he lurched up from the bed and pinned Madelyn beneath him, eliciting a surprised gasp from her. He could no longer control himself and pounded his hips against her. Skin slapped against skin and stars began to cloud his vision. His fists tore at the sheets, his teeth grinding as he fought to hold himself back for as long as possible. Madelyn cried out and went over the edge again, her fingers pulling at his hair, her face locked in an expression of perpetual erotic desperation. Khan didn't want her to look any other way.

Unable to contain his approaching orgasm, he felt himself constrict and then suddenly release. He cried out as a thousand stresses vaporized from his shoulders, as his seed spilled inside her. He groaned and gasped, momentarily losing track of all his senses, only the way she felt around him, the way she smelled, the noises she was making. She was the only thing that mattered to him anymore.

After a moment, Khan slowly caught his breath and propped himself up on shaky arms to avoid crushing her. No human had ever made him feel so weak, and for once, it was a splendid feeling. Despite her heaving chest, glistening with sweat, Madelyn smiled up at him and he crushed his lips against hers. He wanted to be inside her all over again and she wasn't stopping him.


	44. Chapter 44

**_A/N: More M rated content in this chapter. I probably should have put a warning in the previous chapter but it's too late now. Enjoy! And don't forget to leave a review! (I swear, they're like a drug.)_**

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR **

* * *

When they were finally spent, it was almost midnight. Khan could have gone on longer, but Madelyn didn't share his endurance and eventually fell asleep on top of him, her legs tangled with his and with the sheets, her head on his chest, her arms around him. He lay there listening to her breathe, running his hand along the bones in her shoulder, twisting a lock of her tangled hair around his finger. He noticed there were chill bumps on her skin and pulled a sheet around them, wrapping his arm over her so he could gently turn them onto their sides. She shifted and opened her eyes briefly to look at him, and then she fell asleep again with a soft smile on her lips, her forehead pressed to his chest, the sheet clutched in her fingers.

Khan allowed himself to drift into the comfort of sleep, enveloped by the bedroom's darkness. When he woke seemingly moments later, Madelyn's warmth beside him was gone. A split second of panic eased when he heard the shower running in her bathroom. He swept hair from his face and slid his feet to the floor. He had slept longer than he was used to, but it was the first night in many months that he had truly slept peacefully.

He went into the steamy bathroom, and seeing the outline of Madelyn's body behind the panel of frosted glass, felt himself growing hard. He went over and quietly stepped into the hot spray in front of her, his hands sliding around her waist and down her back. He watched as hot water droplets ran down her breasts and erect nipples and stomach. Smiling at him, she ducked her head back into the water, squeezing the remaining soap from her hair even as he pressed their bodies close.

He settled his mouth on her exposed jaw, his hands gripping her rear. She responded, pressing herself to him as her hands grazed over his chest and down his abdomen until her fingers found his arousal. His breathing hitched when she tightened her grip, dragging her hand slowly along his length until he felt the intensity of a new desire to be inside her burn through him.

Growling in the back of his throat and unwilling to let her outdo him, Khan slid his hand across her stomach, trailing his fingers over her small patch of dark fur until he reached the warmth between her legs. Using his other hand to hold her firmly against him, he pressed two fingers inside her. Madelyn responded immediately, arching backwards, faintly gasping, even as the shower pounded on her face. He curled them inside her, scraping her walls, watching her respond to his slightest touch. She released his member to clutch his arms for support and he slowly backed her against the shower wall.

She complained softly when he withdrew his fingers, and he took her clitoris between his thumb and index finger, drawing an immediate moan that he silenced with a kiss. He pressed her up against the cold tile wall, propping one leg up on the ledge to lend her some support while he rolled her clitoris between his fingers. Her nails dug into his shoulder. He knew his ministrations were far rougher on her than they felt to him. She may have had Augment blood flowing through her veins, but she was still as sensitive as any human to the slightest touch.

She lifted a leg over his for support, her hands clutching his shoulders and her head pressed back against the tile. Khan watched her through the water dripping down his hair, the way her chest rose and fell with each labored breath, the way her abdominal muscles tightened, the way she swallowed between her moans. She bit down hard on her lower lip, and when he increased his motions on her center, her eyes clenched shut and a steady stream of desperate sounds escaped her mouth.

She was approaching the edge of her orgasm, so he slowed his motions, sliding his fingers along her folds and occasionally returning to tease her clitoris. Madelyn opened her eyes to look at him, her brow tight and her mouth open, taking heavy breaths

"I need you inside me," she begged, barely enunciating.

Khan positioned his hips and pressed the head of his arousal into her warmth. She rocked towards him eagerly, helping him slide deep inside her until their bones met. She gasped as his chest pressed against her breasts, and Khan groaned at the way she stretched around him to take him in completely. She wrapped her arms under his shoulders, as though she could hold him closer than he already was. He swiveled his hips, sliding himself in and out of her. Madelyn moaned, sinking her teeth into his neck. He rocked his hips again, pressing his length as deeply inside her as he could, growling at the way she surrounded him.

He continued with slow, punishing thrusts, his hands cupping her hips, protecting her from the cold tile wall when he inevitably lost control. The shower grew cool and she begged him to go faster, but he did not. Instead he held her moments from her climax until he could no longer hold himself back. With chill bumps on her skin, she arched up against him, his name tumbling off her lips as she pulsated around him. He came into her, muffling his groans on her mouth. She clung to him with her eyes half-closed, her lips brushing his skin while she rode out the shivering wave of her climax. Totally satisfied, Khan slipped out of her and kissed her neck and her shoulders, finally landing on her swollen lips again as she tried to catch her breath. Her fingers combed through his wet hair and she broke the kiss to graze across his cheekbone and nibble at his ear.

"Now you need to tell me where you've been for the past five months," she murmured.

He would have chuckled at the almost teasing lilt in her voice had his thoughts not instantly jumped to the answer to her question. She slowly unwrapped herself from him and turned off the water, then stepped out of the shower on quivering legs and pulled a towel off the nearby rack to wrap herself in. Ambling slowly out of the room, she glanced over her shoulder at him with a soft smile. Khan watched her walk away, noting the careful way in which she moved. He smirked. She was obviously sore from last night.

He continued to watch her as she dropped her towel and pulled on a big t-shirt and some panties, then wrapped her wet hair into a messy bun and walked barefoot into the kitchen. He quickly dried himself and pulled on his trousers so he could join her. She had chosen not to turn on any lights so the apartment was dimly lit from outside as the sun crept through London's morning fog. He came up behind her as she prepared herself a mug of fresh coffee, wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing his face against her wet hair. He couldn't stand to be apart from her, even though he knew she was going nowhere. She smelled pleasantly of sex and earthy coffee and vanilla soap. He watched as she stirred a drop of milk into her coffee and tilted the mug to take a sip. After she swallowed she breathed a sigh and leaned her head back against him.

"I want to know everything," she stated.

Khan considered that if she knew the true extent of things, she would not want to know everything. She turned so she faced him, carefully holding her mug out of the way so she could reach up and kiss him. Khan acquiesced, his hands traveling over her backside and resting on her waist as she leaned against the countertop.

"First off, did you find Joaquin?"

"I did," he said, allowing himself a small smile.

Occasionally peering at him from over her coffee mug, Madelyn listened with a steady gaze as he relayed briefly how he had tracked Joaquin. His former bodyguard had purposefully led him outside the grasp of the Federation and deep into Klingon space. Khan had finally caught up with him on a volcanic planet used by the Klingons for mining, and after a brutal pursuit through volatile lava fields, he managed to catch Joaquin and end him.

Khan decided it was best to leave out the details of _how_ he had killed Joaquin. He remembered it so clearly though, and he would never forget it, the sense of justice and the rage that had coursed through him as he slit Joaquin's jugular and held it open to prevent it from healing. He would have let the Augment bleed to death, but instead he'd let Joaquin fall into an open lava river and listened as his screams were burned from his bloody throat.

Sparing Madelyn those details, Khan merely reassured her that Joaquin had suffered before he died. The important thing now was that Joaquin and his influence were gone. It had been Khan's final victory, in revenge for what Joaquin had done, not only betraying him and murdering his people, but indirectly causing Madelyn immense harm through his funding of Dr. Dahl, and encouraging experiments like those done on Owen Gallagher.

Khan had barely been allowed to relish in his victory however, as the moment Joaquin's body finally went limp under his hands, he had been surrounded by four Klingon birds of prey. A scenario similar to what happened on Kronos took place, except this time the Klingons were prepared for him and had brought reinforcements. He was captured and brought onboard one of their warships, where he was held under the tightest security.

Madelyn's face morphed from genuine interest to surprise to utter shock as he grazed over the details of his incarceration. He underwent several months of forced starvation, torture, and isolation in total darkness, among other things, before he finally managed to escape. He skipped over the details of his torture, how once they had figured out he wasn't affected by their usual methods they resorted to methods that would have killed a normal human being. She didn't need to know the pain he had experienced nor the doubts he'd fought that he would ever see her again.

* * *

Madelyn listened with wide eyes as Khan casually listed the methods of torture the Klingons had used on him. She couldn't imagine their methods had been effective, and suspected he was leaving certain things out, but she wasn't about to press him. Knowing the Klingons had held him for two months was enough to make her shudder. Khan wasn't one to be held in chains easily, so their methods must have been carefully thought out and terribly barbaric. When he continued on about his method of escape, she found herself relaxing a little and took more sips of her coffee. It seemed there was nothing that could keep Khan from accomplishing anything he wanted. Once, that idea had frightened her, but now nothing did, except knowing that Khan had almost not made it out of Klingon territory alive.

He told her how he'd managed to commandeer a smaller vessel as his way off the Klingon warship, but unfortunately it was not warp capable and the subsequent journey back into Federation space lasted several weeks. However, it was enough time for Khan to regain his strength before landing on Vega IX, a small planet containing a Federation colony. From there he managed to stay under the radar under the identity of John McGivers, eventually taking a transport ship to Earth. Madelyn couldn't help but smile at the name he'd chosen.

"It didn't take me long to uncover your location, seeing as you made no attempt to hide." He smiled then. "I never expected you would, of course, not this time."

She couldn't shake the feeling his look gave her though. Sadness, loss, a sense of desperation only lessened when he was able to hold her as closely as he was now. She wanted to ask him how he was taking the loss of his people. She couldn't imagine what that must have felt like. Seventy-two souls he had fought so long and done so much to protect only to have them blown away by the actions of one egotistical man who had once served him.

But at the same time, she knew Joaquin had given Khan no choice. Had Khan joined Joaquin, his people may have survived, but it would have meant murdering not only Madelyn, but anyone else who stood in Joaquin's way while he tried to start a second Eugenics War. It was clear that Joaquin would have had no problem killing any of the Augments underneath them if they so much as said something wrong, and Khan was not about to let Joaquin take away his agency. The result had been unforeseen by both of them, but Madelyn knew that as an Augment, Joaquin retained superior ambition. Unlike Khan, he hadn't been able to control that ambition, and had led his people to their doom.

Madelyn bit her lip, watching his face as he said all these things. She suddenly realized how hard that decision had been for him, how much he had risked, and how much he had lost. All because one Augment had believed they could bring about a new Khanate all over again, in a world that was much more different from the world Khan had once ruled. It wasn't necessarily Starfleet itself that was perfect, nor was it at fault. It was Joaquin who had manipulated his way into the minds of those within Starfleet, including Thomas and Dr. Dahl, taking advantage of their egos and their desires for control and the advancement of science, in order to achieve his own goals. It was Joaquin, a man Khan had once confided in and trusted with his life, who had betrayed them all. Madelyn's only sense of comfort in the matter came from Khan. He had changed so much since she'd first learned his true identity aboard the Enterprise, but then, so had she.

She reached up and pulled him down into a soft kiss, willing her actions to say everything she didn't know how to say out loud. She wanted him to know that she was there for him, that she wasn't going anywhere. He seemed to understand and met her kiss with the same fervor.

Her phone chimed on the nearby countertop. She let out an annoyed sigh and slid out of Khan's grasp to answer it, smirking as his hands followed her across the kitchen.

"Yeah, hello, you know it's six in the morning?"

_"Maddy, I… I'm so sorry about last night."_

It was Kelly. Madelyn bit her lip, catching Khan's eyes again before moving across the apartment to the living room, as though that would afford the call some privacy.

_"I didn't sleep at all last night because I just felt so awful about what I said. Jim just told me everything."_

Madelyn blinked. "Jim?" Then it all came flooding back and she rubbed her eyes at the thought that Kelly had spent the night with that sorry son of a bitch. "Oh, right. Kelly, what are you thinking? He's almost eight years older than you." She sank down into the couch, still rubbing her forehead.

_"Hmm? Oh, no it's not what you think. He was really drunk, but don't worry, I'm not stupid."_

Madelyn sighed, slightly relieved that it wasn't what she thought. "So you were saying… right. Well, I don't hate you, so don't worry about that. It could have been handled better though." She glanced up as Khan leaned over the back of the couch, cradling her head in his hands and tangling his fingers in her hair. "But Kirk _was_ pretty drunk."

_"Yeah, so, I was wondering if I could come over and pack up my things, since the two of you will probably want to… you know…"_

Madelyn turned the idea over in her mind, and suddenly realized she didn't want to stay there. She wanted to go far away where no one knew her or Khan, somewhere they could start over. "Kelly, you can have the apartment to yourself if you want." She tilted her head back to look at Khan again. "I think I need a change of scenery."

_"Oh."_ Kelly was clearly surprised and there was a moment of silence on her end of the call. Khan bent down and kissed Madelyn and she smiled at him with eyes barely open. _"Oh, well, alright. I'll need to find another roommate then, but if you're sure."_

Khan's tongue requested access to her mouth and Madelyn had to turn her head slightly to respond without tipping Kelly off. "I'm sure," she breathed.

_"Alright, well I'll see you later then. I'll come by 'round noon."_

"Mmm hmm." Madelyn couldn't form proper words as Khan's tongue slid inside her mouth and scraped against her own tongue. She snapped the phone shut and tossed it across the couch, reaching up to grab his face. She moaned into his mouth as his hands drifted over her shirt, pulling it up so he could grab her breast.

"Where do you want to go?" he said, breaking their kiss.

Gazing up at his face upside down was like exploring a whole new side of him and she grinned. "Somewhere far away. Where I don't have to worry about anyone knowing my name. Or yours."

He needed barely a moment to think. "Perhaps the Vega colony. Diverse inhabitants, stable climate, plenty of space. It would be simple to acquire a large amount of land for ourselves."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I have money, Khan. There'll be no _acquiring_."

"You insult me for thinking I'd resort to such tactics unless it was necessary."

She raised her eyebrows, but she couldn't keep from smiling. "Then don't disappoint me by living up to the insult."

His hand tightened around her breast and he ducked his mouth down to her neck, preparing to give her another love bite. "I would never."

She sighed into his mouth as his fingers took her nipple and rolled it around while his tongue explored her mouth. His other hand drifted over her stomach and slid inside her panties. She shifted on the couch so he could reach her better from where he stood, her legs spreading instinctively as he drug a finger around her clitoris.

A loud knock on the apartment door made her stiffen, and Khan let her go, immediately straightening.

"What the hell?" Madelyn clambered off the couch and ran to her room to put on some pants. "Khan, don't answer it. Who knows who it could be." She caught up to him as he opened the door anyway. At least ten heavily armed Starfleet security officers filled the corridor outside, and the man who appeared to be in charge stepped forward, brandishing a phaser.

"Khan Noonien Singh, you're under arrest for violating your agreement with Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise."

Madelyn clutched Khan's arm, her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach.

"Please allow my men to escort you or I will be forced to take preventative measures."

She felt the muscles in his arm tense under her fingers, and uttered a protest as he leaped into action. Then the red-shirted commander lifted his phaser and time slowed in front of her as the bright white flash collided with Khan's face.


	45. Chapter 45

_**A/N: So... this has been an extremely interesting journey for me as a writer. This was my first Star Trek fic, as well as the first story I've ever written which I've managed to finish, and in less than a year I might add. I honestly don't know what else to say here, except that this isn't quite the last chapter. I thought it was going to be, but I have a feeling it won't be. Anyway, enjoy! And read the long note at the end too ;)**_

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE **

* * *

The stun blast did nothing to slow Khan down. His actions were precise and on target. He took the brunt of six or seven more blasts and by then all ten officers were incapacitated on the floor, some with broken bones, others merely knocked temporarily unconscious. The Klingons had forced him to strengthen his immunity to energy weapons, and as he had learned in San Francisco five months ago, he needed to be able to withstand more than a few phaser blasts.

His chest barely rising and falling from the mild exertion, he turned to Madelyn, who stood silently in the foyer of her apartment, staring at the men he had just attacked.

"Do you really want to come with me?"

She blinked and tore her gaze from the groaning men on the floor. "I'm going wherever you go." Her tone indicated she was offended he would even consider otherwise.

"We have twenty minutes before someone realizes these men aren't following their orders."

Stealing another glance at the downed officers, Madelyn nodded and disappeared into the apartment.

Khan knelt down and quickly disabled every officer's phaser by crumbling each one in his clenched fist. He kept the last two for himself and Madelyn. Then he went back inside and quickly dressed. She came out of her room five minutes later, dressed in clothing that seemed appropriate for travel, a gray scarf over her t-shirt, skinny trousers tucked into her favorite boots, and with a stuffed duffle bag slung over her shoulder.

"I probably shouldn't leave a note," she muttered, glancing around the apartment. She dropped her bag and hurried into the living room, snatching a familiar photograph off an end table and tucking it inside her jacket. Khan picked up her bag. She wouldn't be able to keep up with him under its weight.

They walked quickly once they were out of the building. Khan couldn't be sure more men would not show up. He was confounded and angered by their appearance; he'd been reassured no one would come looking for him anymore, and then just like that his confidence had disintegrated and once more he found it extremely necessary to make his next moves as stealthy and as cautious as possible. Once, he would have immediately gone on the hunt for the one responsible, but now his priority was Madelyn and he resolved never to let anything get between the two of them again.

What he'd expected to be a difficult process turned out to be simple and without issue. They boarded the first transport ship out of London before nine am, and their transfer to the ship that would take them to Vega IX went off without a hitch. Khan used the identity of John McGivers he'd crafted beforehand and Madelyn posed as his wife, though she needed no coaxing to do so.

In another life, he would have married her a long time ago.

* * *

After a few hours of hyperspace travel, they arrived in the Vega system. With Khan gripping her hand tightly, Madelyn pushed through the crowd of people that was making their way off the transport ship and into the main hangar of the station where they would take a shuttle to their destination on Vega IX. She followed him as he pulled her to the side out of the throng, and then he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him, crushing his lips against hers. She forgot where they were for half a moment, then felt the odd glances from several passersby. She chuckled into his mouth and broke the kiss quickly. She saw a mother cover her young daughter's eyes and guide her away.

"I love you, you know that?" Khan murmured.

She smiled, but couldn't help but feel the continuous spray of looks sent their way. "Khan, we're in public."

"All the better for everyone to know you're mine."

He pressed his lips to hers again, his tongue seeking entrance that she hesitantly permitted him. His fingers pressed into the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. Unable to resist, she lifted her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair. God, how she loved this man.

After what seemed like several minutes, he came up for air, pressing his words into her ear. "If there were less of a crowd, I would take you right now, right here in this hangar," he muttered.

Her eyes went wide even as a small smile tugged at her lips. He smirked and planted another gentle kiss on her lips before taking her hand. "Our shuttle leaves soon."

Madelyn hesitated, glancing around at the signs. "Shouldn't we decide where we're going first?"

"I already have. I purchased a small house in the capital before I returned to Earth. It should be adequate for our needs until we can find something more… suitable."

Madelyn wasn't sure whether to be smitten or annoyed with the fact that he had gone ahead and set something up for them already, as though he'd planned to take her here far in advance of seeing her again. Maybe she was only annoyed because he hadn't consulted her first, but then again, would she have been able to do much better? She decided she didn't mind it as much as they boarded the shuttle.

She was seated with the shuttle's interior wall to her left and Khan to her right, with nothing to look at except the back of the seat in front of her, and Khan. By the time the shuttle was in the air, she found herself trailing her fingers along his thigh. She glanced up at him, wondering if her touch was turning him on, and noticed his face was stone cold, his eyes staring straight ahead. Letting curiosity get the better of her, she leaned forward enough to look him straight in the face, and then noticed two green-skinned Orion women around her age sitting to Khan's right. They were sending him very clear and very suggestive signals and he was making a solid attempt to ignore them completely, but when they saw Madelyn, they immediately dialed back.

She felt a surge of jealousy overtake her at the thought that other women were trying steal Khan's attentions away from her. Leaning back out of the women's view, she trailed her hand up his leg and over his crotch. He flinched and caught her gaze and she bit her lip, glancing at the Orion women again, then back at him. The corner of his mouth rose and he grabbed her face, crushing his lips against hers again. Madelyn let him press her up against the wall of the shuttle, trailing her hands down his back and intentionally pulling at his jacket to feign desperation. Her breathing turned erratic as he blazed a trail down her neck, allowing her a glimpse of the girls behind him. They looked on with shocked and jealous expressions and Madelyn couldn't help but smirk.

After a moment, the girls got up and left, muttering to each other and leaving their row of seats empty. Khan didn't stop, sliding his long fingers inside her pants. Madelyn felt him pressing against her heat and arched up against him, his mouth sucking her moan away. Now she was grappling at him for real. She turned her head away, attempting to break the kiss, but only succeeded in having her lips pulled at by his teeth. A moan escaped her mouth and she snapped her jaw shut. There were rows of passengers in front of them and behind them that could have heard her.

"We can't do this here!" she hissed.

She was met with his narrowed blue-green eyes, eclipsed by dilated pupils, before he ducked his head down to nibble at her collarbones. His fingers were making a concerted effort to stimulate her and Madelyn could hardly contain herself.

"Khan, stop," she continued, her voice low and husky despite her intentions.

He looked up again. "Make me."

She stared at him, shocked at the way he was diverting control, and then she pushed him backwards off of her. He relinquished, removing his hand from her and watching her with a burning gaze that only meant there was no going back. She could practically feel the heat radiating from him. Quietly, she fixed her clothing and stood up from her seat, not bothering to glance at anyone to see if they'd been heard. Then she walked coolly down the row of seats towards the center aisle, trailing her fingers around his jaw as she passed but not bothering to look at him. There was some sort of storage closet she'd noticed in the back of the shuttle when they boarded, and that was where she was headed.

Khan was hot on her heels, and she could barely contain her grin at the idea of what they were about to do on a public transport.

* * *

Khan clasped his hand over her mouth when she came. No one had noticed them slip into the closet and no one needed to interrupt them now. He'd pinned her against the back wall of the locker to keep them both from banging around too much, but silent sex was hard for her it seemed. She sank against him now, her fingers clutching his clothing, her face buried in his shirt. After she'd had a moment to breath, he lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger and looked at her.

Though the light was dim, his superior vision picked out her flushed cheeks, her parted, swollen lips, the way her eyelids fluttered as she slowly returned to her senses. He pressed his mouth to the tip of her nose and drug his lips slowly over her eyes and down the side of her cheek before coming to a rest on her lips again. She breathed him in and she seemed to relax even more. Had the shuttle not been close to landing, he would have been content to remain in that closet and hold her.

After a moment, Madelyn straightened, fixing her pants and pulling her bra and t-shirt back into place. She ran her fingers through her hair, then reached up and pushed Khan's hair out of his face as well.

"Better," she said. Her small smile widened into a grin and she laughed softly. Khan studied her, unable to deduce what she was laughing about. Possibly the great sex they had just had.

"I've never, um, done it in public before," she said, laughing again.

He pressed his forehead to hers, tightening his grip around her waist. "We're not in public."

She raised her eyebrows, taking her bottom lip in her teeth as though she was trying to suppress further laughter. Suddenly the door opened behind them and the locker was flooded with bright light. A female flight attendant looked them both up and down and her cheeks suddenly turned as red as a chili.

"Um, excuse me, you both need to return to your seats. You would be kicked off this shuttle if we weren't about to land."

Madelyn snickered and glanced up at Khan again. "See?"

He didn't really care. In fact, he would have made good on his promise to take her back in that hangar if she hadn't been uncomfortable with it. Glaring down at the flight attendant as he passed, he kept a grip on Madelyn all the way back to their seats. An older couple seven rows back from them were making snide comments about her, but Khan found it surprisingly easy to brush them off. Once, he wouldn't have been able to. A glance at Madelyn told him she hadn't heard them, so he leaned back into his seat with his hand on her thigh as the shuttle made its final approach to the surface of Vega IX.

They landed shortly and made their way through the queue of passengers waiting to leave the shuttle. Khan held tight to Madelyn's hand so he wouldn't lose her in the crowd. Despite the people that pushed at them from all sides, he noticed she seemed to relax as they came out into the airy interior of the Vega capital station. He retrieved her duffle from nearby and they walked hand in hand towards the wide glass doors that opened out to a street where several cabs waited.

"Wait, I'm starving." Madelyn tugged him in the direction of one of the station's cafés and he followed closely after her. He realized she hadn't had anything other than coffee earlier that morning. They chose a table set apart from most of the patrons, and he watched slightly amused as she inhaled her meal. She didn't say anything until she was finished.

"I'll want to look for a job at some point," she said, leaning back in her seat with satisfied sigh.

He leaned towards her, lacing his fingers together on the tabletop. "Why? You have more than enough money to live comfortably."

"I'll get bored. Won't you?"

Not at first, he wouldn't. Once Madelyn was comfortably settled in their new home, he planned to immediately begin scouting the main continent of the planet for a suitable chunk of land on which they could build a better, larger, stronger, and safer home. This project would keep both of them busy for several months at least, but if Madelyn insisted on working a job like every other being, then he was willing to tackle his idea alone.

"There are things I plan on doing," he said.

"What kinds of things?"

"Perhaps you'll find out in good time."

She didn't seem amused, but shrugged. She clearly wasn't bothered, just uninterested in prodding. He preferred it that way. No plans had been laid out yet, and he was partial to surprising her when the time was right.

She leaned forward to meet his gaze. "You have to promise me something though."

He could feel her soft breath on his face. "What is that?"

"Don't ever go anywhere without telling me where you're going first, ok?" She swallowed, seeming to hesitate over her words. "I don't want to lose you again."

Her words tugged at the corners of his mouth as he considered his answer. He refrained from reaching over and kissing her again, knowing he would only succeed in rekindling his desire to be inside her again.

"Maddy."

Her gaze shifted, her lips parting in surprise. For once, he was unsure of her reaction.

"Is it alright if I call you that?" he asked quickly.

She grinned, laughing softly. "Yes, of course. I've been waiting for you to call me that ever since you came back."

Khan couldn't help but chuckle softly at her response. He reached over and slid his fingers around her hand. "You never lost me."

Her teeth took her bottom lip. She was trying not to cry but he caught the slight glimmer in her eye before she blinked it away. He squeezed her hand and stood, shouldering her duffle bag with ease. "Shall we go home?"

Madelyn stood beside him and lifted her chin as though she could will away the emotion that threatened to cripple her voice. "If you mean our new home, then absolutely." She planted another kiss on his lips. Khan tangled his fingers with hers. He would have stood there in the middle of the café and held her lips in his until he couldn't breathe.

Hesitantly breaking their kiss, Madelyn opened her eyes only to have a tear escape and drip onto her cheek. She brushed it away and leaned on his arm, squeezing his hand until he thought he might actually wince. They walked out of the station and into the warm, white light of Vega IX's midday sun, to a cab that would take them down a road that sloped and curved away through the city, towards a small house that waited for them.

* * *

**_Pardon Khan and Madelyn for deciding to have sex in the back of a public transport shuttle. I honestly did not plan on that happening, and then it just kind of... happened. I swear those two are like-actually I'm not going to type what just went through my mind._**

**_I can't quite explain to you all how I feel right now because this is the first story I've ever truly completed and it was a wonderful feeling typing that last period. But do not fear (or cry, or die)! There's an epilogue coming. Also, as you may know, there's a rewrite in the works, as well as a Sherlock/OC fic, and I'll also be back to working on my series of original novels which I sorely neglected this past summer (except for two particular characters who tried to weasel their way into this story but thankfully I got them under control. I'm serious. If you want to know about them feel free to ask me. I hate them so much.)_**

**_I cannot say thank you enough to all of you who read and reviewed and corresponded with me during the creation of this story. [insert comprehensive list of lovelys here] Thank you all so so much for your support and your ideas and your criticism, which as a writer I can never get enough of. You guys are why I kept writing this story, and why I feel so compelled to go back and clean it up and give you all a rewrite with a clearer plot and more realistic beginning. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART._**


	46. Epilogue

**A/N: So I totally forgot to "insert my comprehensive list of lovelys" into my note in the last chapter so I had better do it now before I forget (and before this story ends ugh). These are people who have reviewed or given me ideas or just been really awesome about this story, as well as maybe offered criticism that has helped me improve this version (or the rewrite, which is coming soon!)**

**In alphabetical order, a huge thanks from me goes out to _Ambur, Amirra, Benedict'sZombieGirl, CannonRebel, CLTex, DemonicSymphony, Elliesmeow, fangirl-friend2, fjkemp, , homesickalieen, IKhandoZatman, JediCasons, JoKuL FrOsTi, Lightning and Ice, milkforthesouffles, peerme, Poodle warriors, priestessofeternity, Savysnape7, sparklesmart, Starcrier, SweetAssassin;_ as well as all you lovely anonymous people without accounts who decided to review in a way that wouldn't allow me to thank you in a PM**

**And I'm sure I've overlooked many of you because I typed this really fast. You guys are the bomb ok just thank you so much. This has been an interesting and (am I allowed to say "fun?" because there were a few times I was questioning my sanity with this story; writing rape is not easy or fun ugh; but I couldn't stop laughing about the castration scene for like 10 minutes when it first happened on paper, so maybe yeah, I had fun.) yes what was I saying?**

**I think I'm rambling so much because I just don't want this to end. Well ok it's not REALLY going to end, because I've got a rewrite of this story that's coming for Halloween! And a Sherlock fic that's coming for Thanksgiving! Oh my god! OK! NOW NONE OF YOU HAVE A REASON TO BE SAD.**

**Without further ado, I present the final installment of The Monster's Mask.**

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

* * *

_One Month Later_

Madelyn pulled her jacket closer around her body as she hurried home. It was evening and the sun was steadily sinking behind the mountains of Vega IX. Nights here were bitterly cold, especially as winter approached. Her boots tapped quickly down the street as she picked up her pace. She wasn't going to wear a knee-length skirt to work next time unless she knew for certain she'd be home earlier. Her bare legs didn't deserve this. Last minute parent-teacher meetings couldn't be helped however, not when said parents were unhappy with the negative feedback Madelyn had left on several students' papers. It was their problem if they thought their children could scrape through her class without bothering to put an effort into their assignments. Had the school been on Earth, not even the headmaster would have put up with this sort of behavior, but being a colony, Vega IX had its share of those who thought they could get away with things, as well as people who didn't want to be found.

She pulled a lock of windblown hair from her face, frowning as she caught sight of a light in the front window of her house. Khan had said he wouldn't be back until long after dark, and it was barely six. He'd gone across the continent to scout out a large chunk of land he'd been set on purchasing since almost the day they arrived on Vega IX. He wasn't content to simply exist in the place he had purchased for them in the capital city, though Madelyn had told him again and again that she was content with it. She secretly wanted to know what he had in mind for that particular chunk of land, but decided she'd just wait and see.

She slowed to a quiet walk, slipping a hand inside her shoulder bag to grasp the phaser Khan had given her. It had been a nuisance to carry along with her various PADDs for teaching, but now she was suddenly grateful he'd insisted she carry it with her everywhere. She set it to stun and concealed it underneath her jacket as she reached for the front door handle, noticing that the biometric lock had somehow been disabled.

She forgot about the cold as she pushed the door open quietly and stepped inside. A tall, unfamiliar figure stood across the room with his back to her. She slipped her phaser from her jacket, her finger hovering over the trigger, and kicked the door shut with her foot, making noise on purpose. The figure turned, and catching sight of his pointy ears and black bluntly cut hair, she loosened her grip on her phaser, though her face must have betrayed her surprised.

"Mr. Spock."

She quickly lowered her phaser when he eyed it with a raised eyebrow. He acknowledged her with a slight nod, his hands held behind his back. "Ms. McGivers."

She smiled softly. "Actually it's Singh now, but don't go telling that to anyone in Starfleet."

Spock didn't reply, but his expression betrayed a faint sense of detachment that Madelyn hadn't received from anyone since she and Khan had left Earth. She tried to keep smiling, but it didn't feel right so she didn't try to fake it.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Spock took a few steps across the room, a faint smile crossing his features that Madelyn wasn't sure she was actually seeing. "I merely wanted to… apologize for any miscommunication that occurred in London one month ago."

She stared at him, attempting to read his features again but with no luck. His smile was increasingly confusing her. "What do you mean?"

"The ten Starfleet security officers who were sent to your apartment to retrieve Khan, the same officers Khan subsequently attacked, breaking several sets of ribs and collarbones—"

"That was Kirk, wasn't it?"

Spock tilted his head to consider her. "Yes. Captain Kirk acted outside of his chain of command and has since been on the receiving end of an appropriate disciplinary action. I simply wished to clarify that I corresponded with Khan before he arrived in London and that I intended no harm to come to either of you. I had agreed to allow him safe passage from Earth once he was reunited with you, on the condition that he in turn cause harm to no one. But I did not foresee that Captain Kirk would take the actions that he did, leading to your abrupt disappearance."

Madelyn had her tongue in her cheek as she mulled over the Vulcan's explanation. He'd talked with Khan, somehow, and had agreed to help him? She didn't quite believe it, and yet it made so much sense. "You probably also didn't _foresee_ how drunk Kirk was the night Khan came back," she said. "Khan threw him out of my apartment to keep him from starting a fight. The least you could have done was tell Kirk what you were up to."

The faint curve of Spock's smile disappeared and he nodded. "Again, I apologize. I did not consider the variable of alcohol being added to the equation."

She nodded and slowly her lips opened into a grin, not just at Spock or the fact that he and Kirk had communication issues of their own, but because he had actually helped Khan. Despite his constant insinuation of clinging to logic and divorcing himself from emotion, he clearly understood a thing or two about love. She had a biting sense that Lieutenant Uhura had something to do with that emotional growth.

"So you were the one who gave Khan the location of my apartment."

"It seemed the only logical course of action to take, considering you were Khan's prime target. When I discovered he'd returned to Federation space, I knew I had no choice. I may be Vulcan, but I do have an understanding of how it feels to be attached to someone. I will never fully comprehend what you see in Khan, but I cannot ignore the fact that he has changed because of your influence."

Madelyn bit her lip, then quickly went over and graced Spock with a quick hug, which he was hesitant to return. He took his leave and was quick to step outside, but offered to repair the biometric lock on the front door which he explained he had broken in order to gain access to the house. Madelyn shook her head with a slight smile. She'd explain everything to Khan in the morning, and he was teaching her a thing or two about technological repairs anyway. They said goodbye, and she watched the Vulcan as he walked away with long smooth strides, seemingly unaffected by the freezing evening air. She briefly wondered if she'd ever see him again, then realized even if she didn't it wouldn't matter, because he'd been bothered enough to seek her out for closure.

_He has changed because of your influence_. Spock's words echoed in her mind as she ate a quick supper and prepared for bed. She knew it was more complicated than that. Khan had changed, but what other choice had he had? His vengeance had been carried out on the last remaining monster who had helped to raze every single precious thing in his world to the ground, and she had been the lone tree, healthy but scarred, standing in his devastated forest. To her, his change seemed obvious.

Then she considered who Khan had been to everyone else. A tyrant. A terrorist. A murderer. A crazed psychopath who had crashed the USS Vengeance into downtown San Francisco. A three hundred year old genetically engineered superman, capable of anything and _everything_ he set his mind to.

But a lover?

To her, yes, and a friend to many others as well, once. Others who were now gone.

_We're the same,_ he had once said, words that had disgusted and terrified her at the time. _You're like me._ But that had been his reasoning on the most basic level. The moment he had discovered what was written in her genetic code was the moment she had become part of his family. Everything after that had come down to her choices. Her choice to fear him and to continually set herself apart from him or leave him, even after he had saved her life more than once. He had always been there to pick her up again even when she'd been blinded by the opinions and actions of those around her, or when she'd made the most pigheaded choices because she was convinced she didn't need him.

But, she had to admit, that had been the time she'd needed him most, and she could only imagine how differently things might have gone had she stayed in that abandoned hunting cabin outside of San Francisco, instead of jumping on the first train across the country, pushing herself right into the grasp of Dr. Dahl. Looking back, if she had known anything, she never would have gotten on that train.

If anyone had changed, it was her.

Climbing into bed, she ordered the lights off and pulled the covers up around her bare legs to keep out the cold. Her head sank into her pillow and her eyes fell shut, but her thoughts wouldn't let her sleep, drifting backwards to what she'd once seen in Khan. It almost been a year since she'd first shaken his hand and decided she had liked the strength in his grip, the way he had looked out for her around Owen Gallagher, the way he had let her cry into his clothing and attempt to beat him up when they had known each other for only a few days.

Maybe it had always been in her blood. Maybe that was what drew her to him in the first place.

Or maybe they had just needed each other from the very beginning and hadn't even known it.

Maybe Khan had been just as fascinated with her as she'd been horrified with him when they discovered who they really were to each other, and like the positive ends of two magnets being forced together, they were so alike that it had taken the strongest and most horrible events to finally hold them together.

* * *

She must have fallen asleep, but was awoken what felt like moments later as the bed shifted behind her. A brief rush of cool air on her legs as the covers were lifted was replaced with Khan's warmth as he settled beside her. He smelled like the woods, damp soil, old trees, clean air. His slid an arm around her waist as his breath ghosted her ear. She didn't have to do much for him to know she was awake.

"Did Spock pay you a visit?"

She didn't open her eyes, but smiled at the way his voice felt against her back, and made a noise to affirm her answer. She was silent for a moment, then turned her head enough to see the faint outlines of his features in the darkness. "How did you know?"

"There aren't many people who would know how to break that lock, and you didn't try to call me so clearly you weren't attacked."

She smiled as he pressed his lips to her face, trailing his fingers lazily across her hip and down her thigh.

"How were your students today?"

Madelyn made a groaning noise, the annoying faces of her students' parents passing through her mind. As if she wanted to think about them. She felt Khan's chest vibrate against her back in a soft chuckle. His hand grazed back over her hip and slid underneath her sweatshirt, coming to rest on her belly.

"Anything else you want to tell me?"

She thought it was funny he considered her grunting 'talk.' Then she frowned, at a loss as to what he could be referring to, until it hit her and she felt stupid all over again. He'd probably sensed her change in hormones weeks ago. She turned over so that his hand rested between her thighs and lazily stretched an arm around his neck. "I was going to tell you when I felt ready."

"You're scared."

Madelyn worried on her lower lip. More than that, she was terrified. "You know what happened last time." She wished she could see Khan as clearly in the dark as she knew he could see her. "And Dr. McCoy said—"

"Dr. McCoy wasn't there. I refuse to let it happen again."

"But maybe he was right. Maybe I really can't carry to term."

"You're my wife. You will do whatever it is you want, including have children. And if you've led me to believe correctly, this is something you've wanted for some time."

She nodded, a faint smile ghosting her lips. If it was within Khan's power to find a way to keep her from miscarrying, then she knew he would do anything. After all, there was nothing he wouldn't do for her and for the little one growing inside her.

At least nothing short of murder. Madelyn would make sure of that.

* * *

** Oh, uh, you guys should let me know if you want me to write a second part, because I will totally write a second epilogue if you guys want it and I don't want to label this story 'complete' yet anyway I'm just not ready for that emotionally ok see you on Halloween for the rewrite!**


End file.
